Keep Running
by wolfbane17
Summary: The Aftermath of SING.Because BL/Ind. will not be stopped and the Killjoys must struggle to keep their world from falling. Sequel to "Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison". Based on My Chemical Romance's Danger Days Universe.
1. The Aftermath

**Hello to all!**

**This is the promised sequel to Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison! We start off on another journey, my fellow Killjoys. Slow at first but keep your boots tight cause I promise you this will be wild ride XD**

**IF YOU HAVEN'T READ Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison, I would highly recommend that you check it out, especially the last two chapters, as they are key explanations to Na Na Na and SING and therefore important to this SING aftermath story.**

**As I've mentioned before, this begins the long adventure that I thought of to follow the events of SING.**

**This is also by no means a completely tragic and depressing story (even that makes up a large part of it) but a happy ending looms...perhaps :D**

**We're dealing with OC Killjoys for the beginning, and moving on from there! **

**Don't forget to feed a writer's soul by REVIEWING!**

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><p>KEEP RUNNING<p>

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><p>"What now Dr. Death Defying?"<p>

Dr. Death glanced at Show Pony, and ducked his head, voice a whisper so as not awaken the young girl sleeping close by.

"We can't stay here forever Show Pony. Hyper Noise means well but this place is small. And she's a good Killjoy but she ain't exactly very patient with Missile Kid. I think it's time."

Show Pony played with the visor of his helmet.

"This will be our last call, right Dr. D?"

The pirate radio DJ nodded, "Last emergency call. We gotta round up all the Zone leaders and have ourselves a good ol' meeting to decide what to do about everything…You've been keeping Missile away from the TV right?"

Show Pony nodded vigorously, "I don't let her watch it. But she's getting curious Doc. Sooner or later she's going to see what those bastards are broadcasting."

Show Pony's hands balled in anger. He'd watched the transmission once, just to see it and to try to understand what had silenced Missile Kid.

He'd watched the crystal clear footage until Korse had slammed Party Poison against a wall, pressed his ray gun against the leader's throat and then he'd turned it off quickly, feeling sick.

Missile Kid did not need to see that. Not again.

Another thought struck him suddenly.

"Dr. D?"

"Yeah Show?"

"What are we going to do about BL/Ind.'s offer?"

Dr. Death tugged lightly at his beard, thinking hard.

"I don't know Show. That's the thing that's scaring me the most."

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><p>Tommy ChowMein was preparing to leave the communications room and go to sleep when he heard it.<p>

The red light on the comm. board blinked insistently and he accepted the call quickly.

Dr. Death Defying's tragic news six days ago had been the last contact they'd had with anyone.

He expected another message.

Not the steady drumbeat that suddenly filled the small room.

He turned around at a sudden noise at the door, dropping his hand from his holster when he saw it was only DJ Hot Chimp.

The man was staring at the comm. unit.

"Turn it up Chow."

ChowMein did as he was told.

The signal was obviously weak; the sound kept cutting in and out.

But he managed to catch snippets of what he now realized was a song.

_"Destroya, destroya, destroya…against the sun we're the enemy…"_

DJ Hot Chimp's face spread into the first real smile ChowMein had seen for days.

"Get our gear packed on the bikes. We leave within the hour."

Tommy ChowMein just stared at the radio, dumbfounded.

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><p>Sequin Anarchy was sorting through the wrenches he'd spread out on the table when sudden sound filled the mechanic shop.<p>

He shot a quizzical look to Disco Panic, who simply shrugged and went over to check the small radio they kept in a corner.

It was a steady drumbeat that grew louder and louder.

The sound fluctuated as the result of a weak signal, but the words that blasted through the speakers were unmistakable.

_"…They don't believe in us, but I believe we're the enemy…"_

He was about to run and get Crimson Sigh when he spotted the man across the room, grey eyes fixed on the radio.

A grin came over the Zone leader's face then, as he toyed with the yellow bandana wrapped around his right forearm.

"Get the car ready. We're making a trip."

Disco and Sequin shot each other a look.

"Where are we going?"

"To the meeting of course."

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><p>"Electric!"<p>

Electric Revenge quickly rose from her bed and looked at the hazy outline of the Killjoy in front of her.

After rubbing her eyes she finally recognized Rocket Revolver.

"There's something you need to hear. Another emergency call."

She was alert instantly, "What was the message?"

His brow furrowed. "I don't know. It's a…_song_…"

They walked quickly to the communication room.

_"…You won't like where we'll go, brother protect me now, with blood they wash in the money…"_

A grin spread over Electric Revenge's face as she tapped her fingers on her ray gun along with the beat.

Chemical Revolver glanced once at Techno Beat, who wore a matching smile.

"What does it mean?" He asked, frustrated at being left out.

"It means that Dr. Death is calling us for a meeting," She paused, gripping her katanas, "It's a call to arms."

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><p>"Do you think they're coming?"<p>

Dr. Death looked out at the large room.

It had been used as a factory once. The heavy machinery was still there, gathering dust.

"Oh they're coming Show Pony. They must."

His gaze travelled to the large, circular table at the far end of the room.

It could seat sixteen Killjoys.

Four seats would remain empty.

He sighed and looked towards Missile Kid, who appeared to be having fun climbing on top of the abandoned equipment.

She'd still not spoken a single word.

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><p>"Still asleep I see."<p>

"Well, sir. They are recovering. The first, second and third pods are scheduled to be opened in three days."

Korse nodded as he moved forward, gaze set on the cryogenic chamber, or 'pod' as it was termed, at the far end of the wall.

"What about this one?"

"We still estimate around a week…" The scientist trailed off, fidgeting with his white lab coat in fear.

"You were unable to remove all the red hair dye?"

"Yes sir. We can re-do the procedure again if you'd like, it's just that–"

"It's fine. Leave it," The Exterminator turned, a menacing smile on his face, "Now…Explain to me, in lavish detail, _why_ exactly he can't be operational in the next few days…"

Missile Kid watched everything from above. She'd found a rafter, through rusted, that could support her weight and she'd climbed onto it, gazing down at what was occurring below.

Dr. Death Defying would surely scold her if he knew where she was but right now, she didn't care.

She was too busy staring at all the Killjoys that arrived. She'd never seen so many in one place, never had her eyes beheld so many colors.

The majority stood around the factory, in tight groups, remaining with those they'd arrived with.

A few offered terse and short greetings to others but mostly they remained quiet, watching the table in the center of the large room closely.

There were a select few, she noted, that moved to the table and took a seat.

She saw that they all wore a yellow bandana somewhere on their body and her hand tightened around the one on her wrist.

_6_

_P.P._

She finally understood what Party Poison had left her.

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><p>Dr. Death Defying rolled his wheelchair to the table and instantly the room fell silent.<p>

He settled his eyes on those gathered around him, purposefully ignoring the empty seats.

The air in the room was tense and thick, as suffocating as the heat outside.

"Let's begin with a simple roll call."

He looked to his left.

"Zone 1, Emergency Exit."

An uncomfortable silence followed. _The death of Tiger Triggerpull still fresh in all their minds._

"Zone 2, Motorbaby," The female Killjoy continued bravely.

"Zone 3, DJ Hot Chimp."

"Zone 4, Epsilon Entropy."

"Zone 5, Demolition Shot."

"Zone 6," Dr. Death paused, suddenly feeling winded, _this isn't right, _"Dr. Death Defying."

"Zone 7, Sugar Fiend."

"Zone 8, Quantum Kill."

"Zone 9, Blood Ballistics."

"Zone 10, Battery Burnout."

"Zone 11, Electric Revenge."

"Zone 12, Volume Virus."

"Zone 13, Crimson Sigh."

Their voices died away, and all the Zone leaders looked at each other, wondering who would be the first to speak.

Dr. Death Defying wasn't surprised when Blood Ballistics stood up.

He _was_ surprised however, at the words that came out of the Killjoy's mouth.

"I'm taking BL/Ind.'s offer."

Tumultuous sound took over the silence that had reigned earlier, as voices _both opposing and supportive _became a sudden loud chorus.

The Zone leaders at the table sat stiffly, too shocked themselves to say anything.

Volume Virus was the next to stand, blue eyes fixed on Blood Ballistics.

"So am I."

The sound in the room reached a crescendo of noise and unrest began to grow in the crowd.

Dr. Death knew that he had to take back control now or risk a brawl breaking out.

"Enough!" He yelled, slamming his fist on the table.

The Killjoys in the room slowly became quiet again.

Dr. Death Defying rarely got angry and even if the man was in a wheelchair, he was still definitely a force to be reckoned with.

The pirate radio DJ looked at Blood Ballistics, "Are you sure you're making a wise decision, Ballistics?"

The male Killjoy drew himself up to his full height. "I am. The majority of the Killjoys in my zone agree with me."

That declaration was stunning and the noise level in the room again rose to a peak.

One Killjoy choosing to give in was one thing. _But an entire Zone?_

It was Blood Ballistics who quieted the room the second time, clapping both his hands against the table.

"There are a few who disagree with me," He sent a quick, pointed look at his second in command. DJ Houdini seemed to shrink under his gaze, "But the overwhelming majority stands with me."

Volume Virus nodded her head. "The same goes for my zone."

"And mine," Quantum Kill murmured, looking at his hands, "we see no point in continuing to fight the inevitable."

"The inevitable? Since when was our cause a lost one?"

Quantum Kill glared at Motorbaby. The Zone 8 leader had a nasty temper and he was in no mood for such a question, especially from the woman across from him, whom he'd never really gotten along with.

"You have no right to question the decisions of other Zone leaders. I don't question yours."

"You _should_ question your _own_ decisions," Motorbaby leaned forward, "You coward."

Quantum Kill was out of his seat in an instant, hand at his black ray gun.

"I wouldn't even _attempt_ to get that if I were you."

Quantum turned to his right, quaking with barely repressed anger as he glowered at the Zone 7 leader. _If there was anyone he disliked more than Motorbaby or the late Party Poison, it was her._

Sugar Fiend returned his gaze evenly and calmly, not withdrawing her raised weapon.

"Stay out of it Sugar," Quantum sneered, "This doesn't concern _foreigners_like you. You might get hurt."

The response to his biting words was immediate. Before Dr. Death Defying could try to take control of the situation, the Zone 7 Killjoys surged forward, moving towards the table.

Wolf Bled Venom was the quickest, but the Zone 8 Killjoys were also advancing, ready to defend their leader. Being accused of cowardice was equivalent to being accused of betrayal.

To be called a coward was one of the most heinous insults against a Killjoy, and they would not stand idly by while their beloved leader's name was slandered.

Sugar Fiend, however, could handle herself perfectly and with one raised hand, she stopped her Killjoys. Still seething they moved back quietly, allowing the situation to diffuse, if only a fraction.

"Everything being discussed here, right now, concerns me Quantum. I don't care what you think of me."

Quantum Kill refused to relent, "You should have never been chosen as a Zone leader!"

"But I was. Every single Killjoy in my Zone voted to have me named. Which is something that can't be said about you."

Quantum snarled. "Party Poison was a fool to support you!"

Motorbaby had had it. She'd tried to stay out of it, had tried to let the two Zone leaders reach some sort of peace on their own.

_But Quantum had dared to insult a man she and so many others respected with all their being…_

"How dare you even speak his name?" She growled out, slamming her hands on the table, "How dare you? When you're standing there, ready to renounce everything he fought for?"

Quantum rounded on her, "Where is he now? Tell me! What did he die for?"

"He's right you know," Blood Ballistics said, softly. The two fighting Killjoys fell quiet, waiting for him to continue. The Zone 9 leader sighed heavily, and he nodded in the direction of the four empty seats.

"We are being offered amnesty. A chance to start again. They wouldn't have wanted us to die for nothing."

"You're right," A new voice spoke up, strong and calm. All eyes turned to Crimson Sigh, the leader of Zone 13. His grey eyes shifted from the table to stare straight into Ballistics', "You're right. They wouldn't have wanted us to die for nothing. But they'd have trusted that we would continue to believe in our cause, to believe that it _meant something_. Something beyond every single one of us, even them," Crimson let out a dark chuckle, "Every time we needed something, whether it was supplies or even just some advice on how to run things. We turned to them. We turned to _him_. And we were never turned away. _Never,_" His voice became cold, _ringing with truth, _"Haven't they bled enough for your trust?"

Blood Ballistics was stunned by the question. He knew he couldn't answer it.

And though the passionate speech stirred the beginnings of doubt inside his chest, he knew he couldn't back down. Too much was at stake. Too many lives on his hands that he knew he could save if only he made the right choice.

And he'd never been surer about what exactly that choice was.

He reached to his holster slowly; deliberate in his movements to show that he was not a threat of any kind.

And he placed his red and white raygun on the table, sliding it to the middle, followed closely by the yellow bandana he'd once worn proudly around his wrist.

"I've made a choice."

The finality in his words was clear. He would not be swayed. Quantum Kill and Volume Virus copied his movements.

The sound of their rayguns scraping the table was hollow, much too loud in the now silent room.

_Murmurs of defeat rose in the crowd, in several lips and within too many hearts. Because if Zone leaders, the fiercest and most cunning of them all, were choosing to give in…_

Electric Revenge got to her feet, placing her hand on the hilt of the katanas strapped to her belt.

"You're doing what's right by you, and I will respect that," She looked around the room, "As we all should," The leader's voice dropped, "But if you ever take an active role against us, against the Killjoys…Don't think I will hesitate for one second to stop you."

Blood Ballistics nodded his head in a small, almost imperceptible bow.

"I understand."

And with those final words, he removed himself from the table and left.

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><p>He awoke suddenly, gasping for air that seemed hesitant to enter his throat.<p>

His first thought was that it was cold. He could see his breath rise in front of him in a foggy mist, clouding against the glass already covered by condensation.

Panic filled his chest. He remembered nothing.

The memories danced at the edge of his consciousness. He grabbed for them, felt them slip away like water through his fingers and he pushed against whatever was holding him prisoner.

The glass gave way, opened against his pushing palms and he stepped out his enclosure, so unsteady on his legs he nearly toppled to the floor. In morbid fascination he stared at the object that he'd been lying in, spotting several more _exactly the same white_ when he allowed his gaze to roam the room.

It was casualty that he felt the need to look down when he noticed how cold the white tile of the floor felt against his bare feet.

Casualty as his peripheral vision caught the strange markings on both of his hands. He stared at the inked designs _the letters, shapes, colors_. Quickly, he rolled up the white sleeves of his plain white shirt; uncovering more and more of what decorated his skin.

Vaguely, he was aware that he'd left something unfinished. The urge to protect something _someone_ stirred in his chest, accompanied by an inexplicable feeling of loss.

The memories began to shift into place then, sliding against each other slowly, connecting until he finally realized where he was.

What he had to do.

The impossibility of the situation did not escape him but he pushed that aside as he moved to the two pods beside his own, trying to open the doors. Trying to free the men _his brothers_ inside.

Alarms blared but he ignored them as well, fingernails scrapping against glass and plastic and metal, trying to find purchase.

The last thing that he became aware of, however, was a prickling sensation against his neck, as sets of unknown hands pulled him away.

There was a voice at his ear. Familiar _oh so familiar, _but cold and empty and hollow. Emotionless and devoid of the faded-but-still-there New Jersey accent.

_"Time to go back to sleep, Frankie."_

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><p><strong>How's that for a first chapter?<strong>

**NEXT UP: The continuation of the meeting of all the Killjoys and all the things that end well...and those that fail.**


	2. To Fall

**I'm incredibly sorry for the really REALLY late update! Life, once again, got in the way. ****I'm aiming to have at least two chapters per month from now on. Hopefully I will be able to stick to that!**

**A/N #1: This is a continuation to "Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison: And One Time They Couldn't." I would suggest reading that first in order to get a feel for what is going on, especially the last two chapters as they deal with 'Na Na Na' and 'SING'. All the OC Killjoys are introduced there.**

**A/N #2: My good friend, Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior, and I have been working on the Dangerverse/Killjoy world together. Though this particular piece is not co-authored, we've collaborated on several ideas. Some of my stuff is in her stuff, and some of her stuff is in mine. **

**Therefore, I highly suggest checking her stories out! Her pieces include; "Memory", "The Aftermath is Secondary", "So Long and Goodnight" and "Disenchanted". They are spectacular works definitely worthy of your time!**

**I also recommend checking out "Living Nightmare" by Motorbaby, another great author with whom I'm collaborating on this great universe given to us by MCR. **

**THANK YOU FOR READING AND DON'T FORGET TO FEED A SOUL BY REVIEWING!**

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><p><strong>Keep Running<strong>

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><p><strong>To Fall<strong>

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><p><em>Battery City<em>

Party was aware of himself.

He was conscious of an ache throughout his entire body. And a feeling like liquid fire down the length of his throat.

Everything was dark, though slivers of light filtered through the far wall.

He crawled towards it.

It was a set of bars. Sturdy and strong.

They were cold but well spaced apart, enough for him to fit a hand through should he so choose.

He tried it, and found his hand caught by another.

He panicked immediately, tried to pull back as fast as possible as he looked up into another set of eyes.

The other hand held on fast. "Stop. I won't hurt you."

The voice was raspy, but familiar, _familiar and stirring memories, the memories that were fading fast._

_They'd woken him and dragged him out, injected something into his arm and told him to do something. Something horrible to someone he'd cared about._

_He remembered whispering something to someone._

_Frank?_

"You there?"

Party was drawn back to the present, back to the pressure on his hand and the eerily recognizable face.

He tried to reply, _tried to speak_, but he couldn't.

_It hurt._

He settled for squeezing back.

"What's your name?"

He couldn't reply, _he didn't want to try again, _so he simply squeezed again, gestured to his neck.

"They did something to your voice didn't they?"

He squeezed.

There was a sigh, _laden with sadness._

"I'm sorry, friend. I'm so, _so _sorry."

He tried to pull back again.

The other hand let him.

"I'm Sonic Zombie by the way."

The name triggered something. Something, _he'd heard that name before somewhere…_

"Been here a while. Fucking bastards keep coming in, roughing me up and taking blood. Damn they take a lot of blood. You ok? I mean, you know, besides your throat…"

Party tapped one of the bars twice. _Nodding or shaking his head was incredibly uncomfortable._

Sonic Zombie seemed to catch on and he continued to talk.

"I'll take that as a no then. Do you remember anything?"

Party again tapped twice on the metal.

"Do you remember who you are?"

Party definitely remembered that at least.

_There was something that he was supposed to do…Someone, others that he had to protect…_

He tapped once and began to think furiously, trying to come up with something, _anything, _with which he could explain to the other whom he was.

_He had to. Had to leave his identity and name to someone. Someone had to remember him._

It was borne of desperation and panic, but he placed the tender flesh of his forearm against his mouth.

He bit down, _hard, _and something like a groan rose in his throat, _stinging._

"What the hell are you doing?" Came the frantic voice from across as Sonic tried to grab his arm, but he ignored the other man until he tasted copper on his tongue.

He pulled back, dipped his index finger in the blood flowing freely from the wound.

He reached past the bars.

The other caught his hand immediately, alarmed.

"What did you do?"

He pulled his hand out of the other's grasp and set his finger on the floor, tapping insistently.

Sonic Zombie once again understood and watched in rapt silence as the other man's hand moved up and down and to the side, _writing a name in bright red._

The letters began to take shape, barely forming two words and Sonic Zombie's eyes widened. He felt his breath catch in his throat.

_No. This man couldn't be…The leader of the Fabulous Killjoys couldn't be in the hands of BL/Ind._

_It wasn't possible._

_It was inconceivable…_

_It was the truth._

He ran a hand across his hair, taking a deep breath.

"Fuck."

He didn't know what else to say, _what else to think, _because if Party Poison _the great leader _had been caught, what had become of the other Killjoys?

_What had become of Sugar Fiend?_

He caught the Killjoy's hand.

"You're Party Poison?"

One tap against the metal.

"How did they even catch you?"

Two frustrated taps.

"What about the others? Were there others with you?"

Party retreated back into the shadows.

And Sonic Zombie felt the fear and panic rise in his chest because the room that Party Poison was in was no longer dark.

There was a group of four Dracs in Party Poison's cell.

The Killjoy had moved towards the back wall.

The light revealed him to be dressed in all white, the red nearly all gone from his hair and much too thin and shaking but it _was him, Sonic now recognized him._

The Dracs advanced and Party shrank from them.

Sonic felt so useless, _so futile_, and that burned in his mind as he watched them finally pounce on the helpless man, dragging him forward.

They kicked at his legs from behind, gripped his arms up and to his sides.

Party struggled, he fought back and lashed out, _a wild animal cornered _and Sonic Zombie felt the bile rise in his throat as he gripped the bars so tightly his hands hurt.

The two other Dracs stood idly by and the door opened again.

It was one of the scientists _Sonic's lips curled back in disgust, _another Drac behind him pushing some sort of cart.

The man gave Party a cursory glance before reaching into his front pocket and removing a syringe.

Party's resistance grew exponentially at the sight of the object.

But he could do _nothing. Nothing more than sit there and watch as the man came closer, as the Dracs held his face and the needle disappeared into the flesh of the side of his neck._

He barely felt the prick.

But the evil man wasn't done.

He went to the cart, nodded at the Drac. The Drone opened the top and suddenly orange flickered on his white uniform.

_Fire... Flame... Oh, God._

"No! Don't you fucking touch him! Get away from him you motherfuckers!"

They paid Sonic no attention as raged against them, trying to pull at the bars with all his strength.

Party felt drowsy. He felt the pull of something alien and sickly sweet.

It was a lulling feeling that he was unable to shake off.

Even when the Dracs forced his head to the right, baring his neck.

Even when one of them pulled the white collar of his shirt down.

Even when he felt an unnatural heat coming closer and closer.

He screamed when he finally felt it.

Screamed through a torn throat and somehow knew that was the last sound he would make.

* * *

><p>The first thing that Kobra Kid became aware of was the stiff, cotton feeling and overtly clean smell of the clothes he was wearing.<p>

He was used to the feel of grit _sand, _of the smell of motor oil and earth and power pup and heat.

The room he was in was cold. He could feel himself shiver as he slowly opened his eyes to a world of white.

It was practically a colorless box, empty save for a cot at the far end of the small room.

Panic overrode all his senses as he scrambled to his feet, ignoring the dull ache that flashed across his abdomen. He lurched to the door, ran his fingers over the smooth, white metal, looking for any handle, any crevice that would allow him to escape.

_Where am I? Where are the others? Where are they? Wherearethey?_

He pounded on the metal, repeatedly, until his fists were sore and then he screamed for anyone to answer him.

He never expected the weak voice that seemed to be coming through the barred vent situated just above the floor on the right wall.

Kobra Kid dropped to his knees, lying on his side carefully as the ache rose up again, calling out to whomever it might be.

"Kobra?"

He gasped. "Ghoul?"

"Fuck Kobra, you have no idea how good it is to hear you."

A hand snaked through the bars of the vent, which were just barely wide enough to allow such a movement.

He clasped the tattooed fingers in his instantly, squeezing the digits as hope and relief flooded his chest.

"God, Ghoul! I…I never thought…How?"

A small chuckle. "Ah, isn't that million dollar question."

"What about Jet? He there?"

Another voice came through, much weaker and muffled than Frank's.

"Kid?"

"Jet Star?"

"We were so worried, you didn't answer."

"How long have you two been awake?"

"I woke up first," Fun Ghoul answered, "In some sort of room. Fuck, it's so hard to explain…We were in some freaky pod type things, like cryogenic chambers and I woke up and got out. I was trying to wake you guys up too but the bastards showed up and knocked me out…When I next woke up, I was in this damn room."

Kobra squeezed Ghoul's fingers as he heard the frustration and anger in his friend's voice.

Jet said something but it didn't process for the blond Killjoy. Everything seemed so surreal, so fantastically made-up and unrealistic, because they fucking _died _only not really apparently, they were still here, still _alive and together and–_

"Guys…" He licked his chapped lips, air heavy in his throat, "Where's Party?"

He felt Ghoul's fingers stiffen in his own, heard the sharp intake of breath.

"Ghoul…Jet…Where's Party Poison?"

He was painfully aware of the pleading note that broke his voice.

"Where is he?"

Anger now. Anger and anguish, as plain and blaring as the white walls.

Fun Ghoul squeezed his hand _so_ harshly.

"We don't know Kobra…We don't know…"

* * *

><p><em>The Zones<em>

* * *

><p>"Jet Star is no longer here Little Red."<p>

The Killjoy pulled at the wire of the bright blue headphones she wore around her neck.

"I…I know Dr. Death…I just don't understand…why me?"

Dr. Death offered her a kind smile. "Why _not _you?"

Her green-blue eyes met his. "Why not Sugar Fiend? Or Motorbaby? Or Maroon Blu?"

Dr. Death Defying sighed. "Sugar and Motorbaby are zone leaders. They've got enough on their plate as it is."

"And Moony?" Little Red asked, referring to Maroon Blu by her nickname.

Dr. Death placed his hands on top of his useless legs, regarding her softly. "She's a great medic. But her past injury's made her slower. Slow enough to get her killed in the position I'm offering to you. Hell, I talked to her and she plain out told me to go to you."

Little Red's head snapped up at that.

"Back when Jet didn't even know how to treat a fever, it was you and Sugar and Motorbaby and Blu that taught him…I ain't asking you to leave your Zone right now. However, when the situation arises, the Killjoys will need someone to head medical efforts. The question is; can I count on you to be that person?"

Little Red knew what the question meant. Knew what the position entailed. Jet Star had carried it out with efficiency and competence, every bit the quiet genius everyone knew him to be.

She could only hope to honor him with the same level of commitment.

"You can count on me, Dr. Death Defying."

The DJ smiled at her, suddenly seeming to deflate, eyes tired and worn.

She was again reminded of what the man before her had lost.

_What they had all lost._

"Good...Now wheel this Killjoy back inside will ya? Temperature's startin' to drop already."

* * *

><p>"What should we do?"<p>

Sugar Fiend turned to look at Motorbaby, meeting the other Killjoy's hazel eyes.

"Wait and regroup."

Her words were ironic. It had been four days since the disastrous meeting where three zone leaders had renounced the cause. The aftermath was already razing through all the zones, with Killjoys left and right beginning to question themselves and their leaders.

Though her zone hadn't been as hard hit as Emergency Exit's or Crimson Sigh's, she'd still lost a fair amount of Killjoys to BL/Ind.'s offer of amnesty. None that had been in her main group at the base, but Killjoys nonetheless.

Motorbaby chuckled darkly. Her good humor was gone, replaced with helpless anger at how easily some Killjoys were swayed.

"In a way," she began tentatively, voice tight, "It's better that they're not here. That they don't see how weak of will we are. How easily and quickly the cause and hope is being left to die…"

Sugar Fiend wanted to ignore the words.

But she'd never been one to overlook the truth.

"What if they're still out there?"

The question was whispered, hesitant. She'd had a nagging feeling that wouldn't leave her alone. It was what had happened with Sonic Zombie. Once the initial shocking pain and grief of the loss had subsided, she'd felt that _somehow_ he wasn't gone.

She couldn't explain it.

Motorbaby smiled wanly. "Then Blood Ballistics and Quantum Kill better prepare for a serious ass-kicking."

Sugar Fiend allowed herself a small grin.

* * *

><p>"Where is your leader?"<p>

"I'm not going to tell you shit!"

Korse struck the Killjoy again, sending the black-haired female to the ground.

"I'm going to ask once more."

"Ask however many times you want, motherfucker. I still won't tell you anything."

The Exterminator grinned at her. "My, _my_, what a nasty little zone rat you are!"

He gripped her face with his right hand, placing his white ray gun against her cheek.

"What do you think you're doing exactly? Protecting her? Protecting the others?"

She didn't answer him and he turned to the Scarecrow next to him, "Is everyone in the building?"

The Scarecrow nodded sharply.

Korse took the Killjoy by the arm and lifted her to her feet, turning her around harshly so that she was staring at the large church that had served as her zone's base.

"I'll give you the pleasure of watching."

Horror rose on her face and she struggled against him, suddenly aware of what he had in mind.

He shoved her into the cruel grip of two Draculoids and spoke once more to the Scarecrow.

_No! No! No, please, please! Please stop it!_

_All those people! _

She screamed at him, _over the noise of pounding fists and desperate yells that travelled across the wood of the locked door of the church._

The Scarecrow lifted one white-sleeved arm, fist closed.

The signal.

And the building went up in flames.

She could hear the crackling of the fire, the flames as they ate the old structure with ferocious hunger, the yells of pain and terror. Smell the smoke and charring of flesh.

She launched herself at the Scarecrow, tackling him to the ground.

Orange illuminated his uniform, illuminated the raw, bleeding, and fresh brand on his neck as his mask rose up from contact with the earth.

It was enough to distract her. Enough for the Draculoids to grab her arms and pull her away, dropping her in front of Korse.

The Exterminator smiled at her.

"You refuse to cooperate and are therefore no longer useful," His gun rose to her head, "Nothing personal, zone rat."

* * *

><p>"Isoda?"<p>

"Yes Exterminator Korse? How may I be of assistance?"

"Tell the Director that I have most excellent news."

Airi Isoda waited and Korse did not dissapoint.

"Tell him that Zone 1 has fallen. Better Living Industries is in control of it now."

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know why I love to torture Party Poison so much XD It's not even the worst of what I have in store for him! <strong>


	3. For the Meantime

**Late update? Pretty much. But, the good news is that I've written the majority of the next chapter...and it will be up by Sunday at the latest!**

**A/N #1: This is a continuation to "Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison: And One Time They Couldn't." I would suggest reading that first in order to get a feel for what is going on, especially the last two chapters as they deal with 'Na Na Na' and 'SING'. All the OC Killjoys are introduced there.**

**A/N #2: My good friend, Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior, and I have been working on the Dangerverse/Killjoy world together. Though this particular piece is not co-authored, we've collaborated on several ideas. Some of my stuff is in her stuff, and some of her stuff is in mine. **

**Therefore, I highly suggest checking her stories out! Her pieces include; "Memory", "The Aftermath is Secondary", "So Long and Goodnight" and "Disenchanted". They are spectacular works definitely worthy of your time!**

**I also recommend checking out "Living Nightmare" by Motorbaby, another great author with whom I'm collaborating on this great universe given to us by MCR.**

**A/N #3: Review replies are long overdue and will be taken care of in the next chapter!**

**R E V I E W :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Keep Running<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>For the Meantime<strong>

* * *

><p>Kobra Kid didn't know how long he'd stayed in that position, gripping Fun Ghoul's fingers with one hand while trying to muffle his sobs with the other.<p>

For a while, Jet Star theorized about what might have happened, how they were still alive.

Each looked under their white shirts to find bandages wrapped around the area where they'd supposedly received a fatal blast.

For Kobra, it was his abdomen. Ghoul had bandages on his right shoulder and chest, the latter of which he shared with Jet.

They talked more out of a need to fill the silence.

It didn't matter _how_ they were alive. Not right now.

What mattered was the fact that Party Poison _wasn't there._

That fact alone was enough to break each of them.

And Jet Star, the most medically aware of them, didn't want to tell them about the voice in his head _that he hated with every fiber of his heart_ because it told him that the shot that had taken Party was probably the most lethal of them all.

He could understand that they'd been revived, in one way or another _he didn't really know how, how? _

But Party had been shot in the throat, his life had been ended by a blast of energy that had no doubt traveled to his brain.

_His eyes had slipped closed. He fallen immediately._

Jet Star would try very hard to stay optimistic, if not for the sake of his own peace and sanity then for that of Kobra Kid's.

It was that thought that lulled him to sleep.

* * *

><p>Fun Ghoul awoke to sudden noise.<p>

His cell door slid open and he wasted no time on springing to his feet.

Kobra Kid felt his hand pull away and woke up as well, instantly alert, asking what was going on.

No sooner did he catch a glimpse of white than Fun Ghoul launched himself at the Draculoid.

The masked drone threw him off with the help of his partners.

"Don't move, captive."

He ignored him and rushed at them again, a cry of fury erupting easily from his throat.

He never expected the scream of pain that came from vent to his right.

_Jet!_

It was enough to stop him. "Jet! Jet Star! What did you do to him?"

The Draculoid just stared at him. "We are ensuring your compliance. If you don't do as we say, we will hurt either one of them. Now place your hands in front of you."

He hesitated, indecision gripped him.

_He might not get another chance like this._

This time the scream came from his left and his hands flew up fast.

"Stop it! Fucking stop it, I'll do it!"

They placed cuffs around his wrists and led him out of his cell.

* * *

><p>"There's no room to mark him." The scientist growled, exasperated.<p>

Fun Ghoul allowed a satisfied grin to show on his face.

_Haha, motherfuckers!_

"The cleaning team said there were too many markings to remove so they left him as is," The Draculoid responded.

"They could have at least cleaned his hand!"

"He must be marked regardless."

The scientist grumbled, once again looking at Ghoul's heavily tattooed hands.

"There's nowhere to mark his barcode. We'll have to make do with the electronic tag. He's not the first Killjoy scum with tattoos."

They pulled his sleeve up and placed something that looked ominously like a nail gun against the crook of his elbow.

He flinched away from the cold metal and the Draculoid grabbed his arm.

The pain was fleeting, nothing really, compared to what he'd felt before.

And that sentiment must have shown on his face because the scientist's smile to him was sickening.

"Oh don't worry about that! It'll burn later on tonight..."

* * *

><p>Fun Ghoul decided that he had been lucky.<p>

Even later on that night, when the injection site became inflamed and itchy, throbbing, he felt that he'd been the luckiest of the three.

Both Jet Star and Kobra Kid had been brought back quiet. Both had refused to show him until he'd had to yell at them to do it.

Both of their left hands had been marked.

Jet Star _D#35476_

Kobra Kid _D#35478_

Neither was a stranger to tattoos, _each had something on their wrist_, but he knew how much the needle hurt on the sensitive flesh of the hand.

It wasn't just the pain.

They'd been marked for life. And that's what hurt the most.

* * *

><p>The next day they were all moved. One by one, always with the threat that if they didn't comply, another would suffer in their stead.<p>

It was enough to keep them compliant and meek, no matter how much they wanted to curse it all and rip the heads off each and every Draculoid.

They placed them in the same order. Fun Ghoul in the middle, with Kobra Kid to his left and Jet Star to his right.

The anomaly in the proceedings however, was when a scientist comes in to draw blood.

He took no more than a vial, but the action was so strange and frightening in all its possibilities.

They refused to think about it until a voice spoke to them from across.

"So…who are you guys?"

Jet Star launched himself at the bars of his cell so hard he almost hit his head.

"Hello? Who are you?"

The disembodied voice came again.

"I just asked _you_ that."

"Yeah well, how do we know you're not some spy for these shitheads?" Fun Ghoul yelled back.

There was silence for a few minutes and then,

"Name's Sonic Zombie. There. I've shared mine now you share yours."

Fun Ghoul's heart stopped in his chest. Kobra Kid was the first to recover.

"Sonic?"

The silence then was greater than the first.

"Holy fuck! Kid?"

Kobra Kid laughed as the other Killjoy came out of the shadows.

His cell is a good four feet across from them but it's close enough to see the other man's smiling face.

_They'd all thought him gone._

"Sonic! Where the fuck have you been?" Ghoul asks with a smile, as hope blossoms in his chest.

_Because Sonic Zombie had been missing for a good month and a half. And if he's still alive, still here…_

_Who's to say that Party isn't around as well?_

* * *

><p>Sonic Zombie tried to keep the smile on his face.<p>

It stayed on successfully for the first few minutes. He hadn't seen these men in a little over a month, and he's _so_ glad to hear their voices again.

He'd gotten along the best with Fun Ghoul, but the other two were still close friends, and nothing could describe the feelings of reunification that flooded his entire being.

Until his brain caught up with his heart, and he remembered what had happened four days ago.

_Party Poison's final scream._

_The way he slumped forward, unconscious, the way he'd been dragged out, but not before another scientist had come in, ink and fine scalpel in hand._

_'S' on the left hand._

_'#717' on the right. _

_Both combined, and branded on his neck._

He felt sick then. Horribly sick, because they _didn't know._

They didn't know what had become of their leader, of the their friend, _their brother._

They didn't know that he'd been broken and transformed.

It would kill them. It would destroy them and eviscerate their will.

_And they needed that to keep running. Needed it at all costs._

So Sonic Zombie came to one of the hardest decisions of his life and resolved to tell them nothing.

* * *

><p>"We need a plan to get the hell out of here."<p>

"I know that Kobra. But it's easier said than done. I mean, I've been fucking rotting in here for almost two months and I still have nothing…anything that I haven't failed at already that is…"

Sonic Zombie trailed off and looked away, unable to meet the frustrated desperation that shone in the eyes of the three men across from him.

"Didn't mean to sound bleak back there, but man, this is some tough shit you know?"

Fun Ghoul was the first to nod. He regarded his friend with a secret glance.

Sonic had been so optimistic, so ready to counter every shadow with wit and a smart joke.

Now he looked, for lack of a better word, defeated in a way that Fun Ghoul had never seen before.

_What the hell did they do to you Sonic? What the hell are they doing to us? To Party?_

He turned to Sonic slowly, hesitantly.

"Sonic…you…you haven't seen Party Poison have you?"

Kobra and Jet drew in a heavy breath and Sonic resisted the urge to flinch away from the hope that shone in the three pairs of eyes.

He took too big an inhale, his fingers twitched in a way they shouldn't have, but he answered just the same.

"No…no I haven't seen him. Not since three weeks before I was taken."

An awful silence descended over the room, the idea of forming a plan of escape clearly put to rest for now.

But Sonic couldn't shake the feeling of Fun Ghoul's piercing gaze on his now lowered head. Or the nagging thought that Fun Ghoul knew he was hiding something from them.

* * *

><p>"Shock him again. He needs to learn to be alert to the movements of the rebels. We can't have a Scarecrow be tackled to the ground by some female Killjoy rat."<p>

The scientist nodded at Korse before kneeling next to the shaking form on the ground.

"S717, you are receiving another shock at 0.3 amps for failure to carry out your duty and react quickly to a rebel attack."

The form just inches from her knees did not respond in any way.

He was too far gone in the waves of anguish to acknowledge anything, even the promise of further pain.

The scientist placed the stun gun against the Scarecrow's bare arm, unprotected by the white sleeve that had been rolled up half an hour ago, when the ordeal had begun.

She and Korse watched impassively as the Scarecrow responded to the electrocution, writhing on the floor, hands clawing at the white tiles.

The young scientist by the door however, had to fight with every fiber of his being to school his face into an expression of neutrality and utter apathy.

He had felt Korse's eyes on him at the beginning, gauging him and seeing whether he could make an argument for throwing him out and into the mandatory Draculoid service for young men his age.

His intellect had saved him. _Your genius with science, your intuitive and almost boundless knowledge of molecular biology made you appealing to the company. Appealing enough for them to let you skip the mandatory service and go straight to working in the large science department of the industry._

His father had saved him. _He was never around when you were growing up but he sure as hell used his position on the Board to get you out of the training and desert and into the labs._

He knew how much rested on this going smoothly, how his future was practically in the hands of the cruel machine a few feet away.

But as he watched the man on the ground struggle to breathe, _as he remembered the colorful clothes and bright red hair that he'd arrived with, _he knew, unconsciously, that whatever future he'd had with BL/Ind. was gone the minute he'd heard of the Fabulous Killjoys and their cause.

_Hold on, whoever you are. Just hold on. _

_Give me time to think._

_Give me time to plan._

_Give me time to get you out of here._

* * *

><p><strong>Will the Fabulous Killjoys break out successfully? Read the next chapter to find out!<br>**

**A few notes: The characters of Sonic Zombie and the young scientist (who remains nameless for now) are introduced in the last chapter of 'Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison.' Sonic Zombie's character however, is explored in deeper detail in the fics by **Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior.****

**The idea for the stun guns used by BL/Ind. came from me watching a special on them on TV. Apparently, the higher the volts the higher the capacity of the stun gun to incapacitate/paralyze. However, the higher the amperes the higher the pain level, which is what I chose to with in the last scene. A setting of 0.7 amps is lethal to human beings. **


	4. By Force and Arms

**Longer chapter to make up for the lack of update! Plus, I'm on vacation, so updates should come a little more regularly, dare I say it, maybe even once a week!**

**Many thanks to those that have reviewed or alerted/favorited this story! Reviews are what keep writers going, so please take the time to leave a comment!**

**A/N #1: This is a continuation to "Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison: And One Time They Couldn't." I would suggest reading that first in order to get a feel for what is going on, especially the last two chapters as they deal with 'Na Na Na' and 'SING'. All the OC Killjoys are introduced there.**

**A/N #2: My good friend, Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior, and I have been working on the Dangerverse/Killjoy world together. Though this particular piece is not co-authored, we've collaborated on several ideas. Some of my stuff is in her stuff, and some of her stuff is in mine. **

**Therefore, I highly suggest checking her stories out! Her pieces include; "Memory", "The Aftermath is Secondary", "So Long and Goodnight" and "Disenchanted". They are spectacular works definitely worthy of your time!**

**I also recommend checking out "Living Nightmare" by Motorbaby, another great author with whom I'm collaborating on this great universe given to us by MCR.**

**R E V I E W - **R E V I E W - **R E V I E W - **R E V I E W - **R E V I E W******** **

* * *

><p><strong>Keep Running<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>By Force and Arms<strong>

* * *

><p>"You've gotta be fucking kidding me."<p>

"I have to say that I agree with Fun Ghoul…It just doesn't seem like a viable plan."

Sonic Zombie rolled his eyes at Jet Star, "I don't see you coming up with a better plan, 'fro head. Besides, I think I can pull it off," The Killjoy turned his eyes toward Kobra Kid, who hadn't said more than a few words since Sonic had said he hadn't seen Party.

"Hey Kobra, what do you think?"

The blonde's brown eyes met his.

_If we can get free Kobra, we can try to look for Party._

_And if we can't?_

_We have to try Kobra. We can't just sit on our asses and wait for something to happen._

The silent conversation ended with Kobra Kid's emphatic nod.

"We have to try something Ghoul, Jet. We can't just sit here and rot until we think of something better. Who knows what those fuckers are planning anyway."

Fun Ghoul was about to open his mouth to argue when footsteps caught the attention of everyone in the room.

Murmurs rose down the darkened hall and suddenly Fun Ghoul realized that there were others, locked away just like them.

He wondered why they'd been spaced so far apart from the rest of the prisoners before his attention focused solely on the figure walking closer and closer.

It wasn't hard to distinguish the glaring white from the shadows just beyond the pale lights inside their cells.

He recognized him as one of the scientists that had come yesterday and drawn their blood. Two Scarecrows flanked the man and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

He'd seen nothing but Draculoids the entire time since he'd awoken and he wondered what could be so important to occupy the time of two of BL/Ind.'s elite soldiers.

He was prepared to utter a snide and biting insult when the man turned to the right, heading for Sonic Zombie's cell.

Sonic stood as soon as his door was opened. He wasn't about to be told to stand, not by this geezer.

"Back for more, you old vampire?"

The man regarded him with an impassive scowl, clearly trying to convey how much he loathed zone rats.

Sonic's smirk widened. He'd bit the man once, kicked him in the balls twice and punched him in the face three times.

He'd been punished each and every time but boy had it been worth it.

"What's the matter grandpa? Is that stick still up your wrinkled ass or what?"

A twitch of the upper lip told Sonic that the scientist was getting mad.

Sonic simply held out his arm.

The scientist seemed to sigh in relief and he moved forward a little with his tools.

Needle and vial. Sonic was sick and tired of seeing both things.

The Killjoy drew his arm back just as the scientist was about to plunge the needle into a vein.

He laughed at him, unperturbed by the fact that the Scarecrows had moved forward, sensing that he was not cooperating.

The scientist moved closer, glaring, and clearly ready to threaten him when Sonic put his arm out again, closer to his body than last time, but still turned up.

A sign of compliance.

The scientist was careful this time in lowering the needle into Sonic's arm.

Sonic felt the prick, saw his blood being drawn out of his arm and depressed into the vial, labeled clearly with today's date and his prisoner number.

Just as the BL/Ind. employee was drawing the vial back, to be stored safely in his lab coat's front pocket, Sonic fell against him.

He let his legs go loose, let his body fall forward and support itself on the surprised body of the older man across from him.

The scientist floundered, unsure of what had happened, and Sonic let his hands roam over the man's lab coat, as if seeking something to hold onto.

The Scarecrows surged forward and tried to pry him off.

He resisted them until he'd found what he'd wanted it and subtly deposited it safely into his pants.

In the chaos of limbs, no one saw anything.

The Scarecrows set him on the floor against the wall and drew their ray guns.

"Stop! Don't shoot him you idiots!"

They backed off and the scientist walked towards him, still straightening his lab coat.

He looked him over and Sonic Zombie resisted the urge to back away when the other man placed the back of his hand against his forehead.

"You're not getting sick are you, zone rat?"

He shook his head with a wolfish grin.

"Just hungry is all. All the food tastes like shit doc."

The man scowled at him again, but seemed relieved.

He walked out and locked his cell once more, sparing a moment to tell him that he'd be sending down more food for him and that he better eat it or else, before walking away.

As soon as he felt the coast was clear, Sonic reached into his white pants and pulled out the small radio with a triumphant grin, thankful that BL/Ind. technology had decreased the size of the devices from the bigger ones that the Killjoys used.

He'd tried this once before, but he was an expert in weapons assembly, not goddamn communications.

By the time he'd been trying to figure out frequencies and whatnot, Dracs had shown up at his cell and beat the living daylights out of him as soon as they'd wrenched the communicator from his hands.

But now…

He grinned at the incredulous faces of Jet Star and Fun Ghoul and maneuvered the device outside the cell bars, sliding it to Kobra Kid.

"I believe that you're the one best equipped to get that shit to work yeah?"

Kobra Kid quickly scooped the radio up and retreated to the far left corner of his cell, turning the various knobs with deft fingers.

He was never as good as Show Pony or Dr. Death at sending signals and messages but he'd picked up quite a few things at the Diner with them.

"Hurry up though, Kobra. And once you're done, slide it back."

Kobra Kid thought that last request odd but he said nothing.

Within a few seconds, blessed static filled his cell.

* * *

><p>For a moment, Show Pony almost forgot how to breathe.<p>

The red light on the comm. unit was blinking, indicating an incoming call.

But the lines had been down for nearly two and half weeks.

There were only two options.

Either someone had fixed whatever problem had been blocking all their calls and signals, or, _and this was what frightened him and stole his breath, _the call was coming from somewhere within Battery City.

He hesitated.

He waited.

And he finally gathered the courage and picked up the radio.

* * *

><p>"Come on, come on…" Kobra Kid muttered, gripping the radio with white-knuckled fingers.<p>

"Anything?"

He didn't even spare a glance at Jet Star, concentrating his attention on the device in their hands.

"Do you have the right frequency?"

"Of course I have the right frequency, Ghoul! I don't go around forgetting that crap, besides–"

_"Hello?"_

Kobra immediately raised the device to his mouth.

"Show? Show, it's–"

_"Holy motherfucker! K-Kobra?"_

Tears prickled at his eyes and he smiled, "Yeah, yeah it's me Show Pony. You've got to listen to me, Show. I know this is ridiculous and pretty fucking weird and probably freaking you out, but we're alive. We're all right. Even Sonic Zombie is with us. But we need to get out of here."

_"I –I …I'll get Dr. Death!"_

"No! Show, we don't have that much time. Listen to me. They're holding us in some type of cells, and…" Kobra Kid paused, seeing Sonic's frantic motions to hand the radio to him.

Kobra crawled forward quickly and slid the radio back to Sonic, who caught it as soon as it hit one of the cell's bars.

"We must be two floors below ground. We're not in the main building of BL/Ind. in Battery City but we're connected to it somehow…"

_"Wait, Sonic? What–"_

But there was no more time.

They could hear footsteps now, approaching quickly.

Sonic Zombie turned the radio off and messed with the dials, before smashing the device against the floor, once, twice, three times.

He ignored the other's heated questions, and hid the destroyed radio behind him as he leaned against the far wall.

For a moment, he worried that they would send Renegade Turncoat to deal with him.

But he heard the heavy, sure steps ahead those of the Dracs. He recognized the being that made them, so he simply closed his eyes and waited.

* * *

><p>"It's always nice to see you and your bald-headed presence here. Makes things interesting."<p>

Korse regarded him with a predatory grin. He was in a good mood.

But that didn't mean that he wouldn't take pleasure in punishing the rebel for his transgressions.

"Where is the radio?"

"What radio?"

"Do not play games with me."

Sonic Zombie kept his eyes fixed on the Exterminator. He refused to look sideways, where he knew he would see the concern of the other Killjoys.

They were surprisingly quiet. Perhaps they thought saying something might aggravate the situation.

When Korse reached for him however, a cacophony of sound broke from the cells across.

"Don't you touch him, you motherfucker!"

"Fuck off Korse!"

"You son of a bitch, go look for your radio up your ass!"

Korse laughed. The annoying bastard actually threw his head back and _laughed. _

They were all distracted by the cold ringing sound of his amusement, and before Sonic could react, Korse had sobered and gripped his neck, using his strength and the pressure upon Sonic's windpipe to make his prisoner stand.

The yells from the cells across erupted once more, and continued despite the warnings by the Draculoids that were standing by.

Sonic wanted to tell them to shut up, to be quiet because nothing they said could stop the Exterminator.

Korse shoved him against the wall and looked down, at the far right corner where Sonic's body had been covering the destroyed radio.

He kicked the thing with his foot, nodding at one of his Draculoids to retrieve it for him.

One he had the broken device he released Sonic, who was having a hard time staying upright.

"Did you honestly believe that I wouldn't find this?"

Sonic said nothing.

Korse grinned at him again, "I think it's time for us to have a little chat."

Sonic remained silent. All other noise faded to nothing as he tried desperately to control his heartbeat and maintain the look of indifference upon his face.

Korse grabbed him by the throat again and dragged him outside, past the Draculoids that just stood there, waiting for orders. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the scientist standing just beyond the pale circle of light that his cell casted.

And then Korse stopped, right in the middle, _in perfect view from the cells of his friends_, and he felt his stomach sink.

He forced himself to meet Fun Ghoul's eyes, then Kobra's and Jet's.

_Say nothing. Please, you can't say anything._

The look of utter pain in their eyes was exhilarating, and he recalled that they'd been in this position before _when he'd held their precious leader, their great Party Poison, and aimed a ray gun at his side. And when he'd pulled the trigger..._

Korse would use a different weapon today though.

Sonic had seen it briefly, in the scientist's hands, as he'd been shoved down to his knees.

The Exterminator held the stun gun to the light, waving it back and forth slowly, as a person might have done to show off something great.

"Do you rebels know what this is?" The delight in his voice was sickening and infuriating but none of the three Fabulous Killjoys said anything, merely looking away.

Korse turned to Fun Ghoul, tapping the bars of his cell with the device.

"You, #35477, don't tell me that you have no idea what this is?"

"That's not my name." Fun Ghoul growled, meeting the bastard's eyes with as much fury and hatred as he could show.

"What is your name then, according to you?" The condescending tone in his voice grated on Fun Ghoul's nerves.

"Fun Ghoul, you motherfucker."

"Really?"

With incredible reflexes, Korse's hand had shot out, catching Sonic Zombie in the neck once more.

Only this time, the device was in his hand, thumb on the trigger, which he flicked without feeling.

Sonic Zombie didn't even have the chance to yell or cringe. He was on the ground before he had time to do, plan, or think anything.

Fun Ghoul threw himself at the bars of his cell, trying desperately to reach for Sonic, for Korse, for anything, _anything that would erase the helplessness that was eating him alive as he watched his friend writhe on the ground from pain._

Jet Star couldn't watch, not without fisting his hands on the bars, gripping them so tightly he was vaguely afraid the joints might snap. He couldn't stand this. Not this, _not this blatant torture_.

"Oh, come now! It's only set to .2 amperes!" Korse smiled at them, "However, there is certainly time for me to go higher…here is how things are going to work out. I will ask a question, and you will answer."

Kobra Kid caught Sonic's eyes. His pupils were wide, full-blown from pain, and his breath was quick and fast.

But he was talking to him. _You can't tell him. This is our chance. This is our only chance. Don't blow it. Don't waste it. Don't make all of this be for nothing._

Kobra was indistinctly aware that the Exterminator had asked about the radio.

Nobody spoke.

Korse didn't hesitate.

And Kobra found he couldn't keep his eyes on the scene before him.

He looked up, up at the fluorescent source of light in his cell's ceiling, and tried to drown out the sound of screaming.

* * *

><p>Dr. Death Defying smiled for the first time in days. It was a full-blown grin, stretching his face, his mustache and beard framing his teeth.<p>

_Two and half weeks! Two and a half weeks since they'd been lost and now..._

_Killjoys never die, huh, Party Poison, you crazy son of a bitch!_

Show Pony was glad to see the light return to his mentor's eyes, was glad to finally see the tension in the older man's shoulders relax.

"They're alive, Show Pony!" The pirate radio DJ laughed, "They're alive!"

Show Pony allowed himself to share in the joy. He'd been hesitant at first, _because how the hell were they going to rescue them?_ But Dr. Death's effusive relief was contagious, and the slender man allowed hope to flood his chest and light up his demeanor.

Dr. Death Defying's appearance sobered a few minutes later, but the glow still burned in his brown eyes.

"We gotta be quick, but we gotta be careful. Nothing can go wrong."

"How do we tell the others?"

Dr. Death Defying frowned slightly at that, scratching his beard, deep in thought.

"We don't, Show. They have a right to know, I'll give you that. But there may a traitor out there, a coward that sold us out to BL/Ind. We have to be incredibly careful not to alert the snitch."

"What about Sonic Zombie?"

Dr. Death nodded. "We have to tell Sugar Fiend. She and her Zone 7 Killjoys can lend us a hand. And Motorbaby and Crim. We'll be tight on manpower, but we'll be safe. Party trusted the Zone leaders with his life, but the others are too far away and the more people that we involve, the higher the risk. This is the best and only way."

Show Pony nodded grimly. Such great news, however, could not fix the past, could not take back what had already been said and done.

"Doc, do you think…If everyone hears that they're alive…do you think they'd come back?"

Show Pony's cheeks reddened as he realized how much his voice was coated in warm wistfulness, but Dr. Death merely smiled at him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Some things can't be undone Show, but I hope with all my heart that one day things will be like they were always supposed to be."

Show Pony smiled and the two were silent for several minutes, at peace, before Dr. Death Defying broke the silence.

"Get the van ready, Show. We have to pay a visit to Sugar Fiend."

* * *

><p>Dr. Death Defying was just as surprised to see Motorbaby at the door as the Zone 2 leader was to see him.<p>

They stared at each other for a few seconds in amused surprise before Motorbaby leaned forward to envelop the older man in a hug.

"What brings you around here Doc?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Motorbaby. How'd you end up over here?"

Motorbaby grinned at him, "You could say that Fiend and I were having something of a sleepover."

Dr. Death Defying nodded, _despite the tightness of Motorbaby's smile, the tension clear and strong in her shoulders_. It was good to see that some Zone leaders at least were still sticking together as they were meant to. That was why Party Poison had never wanted to lead alone. He'd correctly reasoned that the more leaders there were, the greater the support among them could exist, the stronger they'd be in resisting BL/Ind.

_Dr. Death wondered at how disappointed the red-head would be to find out what had happened in his absence, how deeply he'd been failed by the very people he'd sought to guide and protect._

But those were matters for a later time, because right now, _right at this moment_, the Fabulous Killjoys were alive, and they needed to be taken back.

_They needed to be brought home._

"You two have saved me the trouble of runnin' around with Show Pony. I need to speak with the both of you."

Along the course of the brief interaction, Lady Luck and Space Biscuit had emerged. They'd seen the notorious Zone 6 white van speeding their way from their lookout posts on the roof of the hospital and they'd come to investigate just why Dr. Death Defying was paying them a visit.

The pirate radio DJ smiled at them, "Why don't you all get Sugar Fiend to join us and we can start."

* * *

><p>To say that the young scientist was nervous would be an understatement.<p>

He was surprised when he wasn't denied the opportunity that he'd asked for, so surprised he almost let it show. But he held back, because his whole plan was based around the fact that BL/Ind. would never suspect one of its own.

There was a side of him that was angry. _Who was he to take matters into his own hands? Who was he to turn his back on the company that had given his family everything?_

_But he'd been forced to pay the price of it without having any say in it. He'd never really known love, nor hatred. Just the painful indifference of his parents, of a mother that simply wasn't able to feel anymore. Of a father consumed by his greed and his power, too blind to notice that he was missing everything that his son was growing up to be._

He'd felt just as divided when he'd stopped taking the pills years ago. He remembered his teenage self, flushing the small, white capsules down the toilet. The first few days were rough, as his mind was suddenly assaulted by what seemed to be like a multitude of chaotic emotions. As the weeks wore on however, he considered returning to his dosage less and less, floating on the beautiful taste of the many feelings that had been repressed through the majority of his life. He hadn't known such bliss since early childhood, and he welcomed the freedom even when his father placed him right in the center of the company that created the pills he'd come to hate.

He realized suddenly that everything had been leading up to this moment, to this space in time where he had to make a choice. _Not his father, and not the pills or the company._

_His future was in his hands._

He looked at the man through the bars. The man glared at him, but the lingering grimace of pain on his face made it clear that he wasn't a threat.

He opened the cell door, felt the cool bars slide across his fingers and his heart thudded in his chest.

He moved forward, withdrawing the syringe from his pocket, almost wincing when the man's scowl deepened at the sight of the object.

"They're getting you drones younger and younger now huh?"

He slid the needle in easily, slowly, pulling the plunger, watching the red blood flow out into the vial.

_He made his choice._

"I can get you out."

* * *

><p>Sonic Zombie just stared at the young man before him, slack-jawed. He saw the resolution in the blue eyes, the determination and honesty and he frankly couldn't think of anything to say.<p>

He gripped the scientist's arm, forcefully.

_It could be a trap. It could all be Korse's idea, sending in some kid who'd convince them to give up their plan, who'd make them believe that he was on _their _side._

"Your other friend. I can get him out too."

Sonic Zombie forgot how to breathe. He chanced a glance beyond, peering briefly at the three faces that were pressed against the bars, concerned _because Korse had kept at it for a good half-hour, only stopping when he'd finally passed out to the sound of their silence._

The young scientist's voice became urgent, "The one that used to have red hair. I need to get him out of here."

The exigency in his tone was alarming _what exactly were they doing to Party Poison? _

They didn't have much time.

"I know the way out. Just tell me who I need to call."

The Draculoid unit just outside the cell was getting antsy, _You can't trust him, you can't! He works for them, he'll betray you, you mean nothing to him._

The younger man leaned in, voice a murmur.

"He won't last any longer."

There was genuine concern there, in his voice and in his blue eyes.

Maybe it would be their saving grace, or their fall, or maybe they would die trying to escape.

Sonic Zombie was not a person who trusted easily, even more so after Renegade Turncoat's betrayal.

But this _kid_, had just offered to _help_ them escape. All of them, even Party Poison. And Sonic hadn't seen the sun in over two months. He had not felt the warmth of his Killjoy jacket or the desert heat or Sugar Fiend's touch _playful and loving._ They'd taken Bob away a couple of days before they'd brought the three Fabulous Killjoys. He remembers shouting at them to leave him alone, _because their intentions were clear. They were going to reprogram him, the man who'd become his friend, they were going to erase everything he was and fill him up with their lies and their emptiness._

_Just like they'd most likely done with Party._

And Sonic Zombie was going to be damned if he let that happen to the three men across from him._ Not one more. No more._

So the Killjoy leaned forward, and whispered in the young man's ear.

_"I don't really know much about communications. You're going to have to ask the blond one."_

The young man nodded his understanding and retreated, eyes never leaving Sonic, heavy with promise.

_"I'll come back." _They said.

* * *

><p><strong>So close and yet so far... Nah, the Killjoys are getting out, can't say the same for Party Poison though...maybe...<strong>

**A few notes: The characters of Sonic Zombie and the young scientist (who remains nameless for now) are introduced in the last chapter of 'Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison.' Sonic Zombie's character however, is explored in deeper detail in the fics by **Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior.****


	5. Seize the Night

**First update of the new year!  
>I actually wrote more than this, but split it up because it became too long, which means that there will be another update by the end of the week! <strong>

**Happy New Year to all my readers, may 2012 bring you all the success and happiness that you desire! **

**Many thanks to those that have reviewed or alerted/favorited this story! Reviews are what keep writers going, so please take the time to leave a comment!**

**A/N #1: This is a continuation to "Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison: And One Time They Couldn't." I would suggest reading that first in order to get a feel for what is going on, especially the last two chapters as they deal with 'Na Na Na' and 'SING'. All the OC Killjoys are introduced there.**

**A/N #2: My good friend, Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior, and I have been working on the Dangerverse/Killjoy world together. Though this particular piece is not co-authored, we've collaborated on several ideas. Some of my stuff is in her stuff, and some of her stuff is in mine. **

**Therefore, I highly suggest checking her stories out! Her pieces include; "Memory", "The Aftermath is Secondary", "So Long and Goodnight" and "Disenchanted". They are spectacular works definitely worthy of your time!**

**I also recommend checking out "Living Nightmare" by Motorbaby, another great author with whom I'm collaborating on this great universe given to us by MCR.**

**R E V I E W :3**

* * *

><p><strong>Keep Running<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Seize<strong>** the Night**

* * *

><p>Kobra Kid was full of nervous tension. He knew he should be resting, <em>they had to be ready at any time for escape <em>but he just couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. Part of him couldn't believe that he'd shared the communication code with the young scientist. But he'd seen honest urgency in the young man's blue eyes.  
><em>He was their way out, if we wasn't looking to betray them, he was their way out and back to the Zones. He was their last hope.<em>  
>He wasn't the only one not sleeping however. He could hear Fun Ghoul moving restlessly in the cell to his left, tapping something on the floor of his cell whilst humming a tune that somehow seemed familiar.<br>"Hey Ghoul, what song is that?"  
>Fun Ghoul stopped and cleared his throat before responding.<br>"Party, um…he wrote it a while back and he was humming the tune one day and I guess it just got stuck in my head."  
>Kobra Kid swallowed.<br>"Did he…name it?"  
>There was a grin in Ghoul's voice, "He wanted to call it 'Destroya'."<br>Kobra laughed a little. Leave it to Party to be so dramatic.  
>He bounced his fingers on his knee, unable to stop the edgy feelings that burst across his chest.<br>Everything was counting on the promise of one man.  
><em>I can get you out. Just give me the code to call for help. I can lead you out of here but once we're outside, we're going to need some help.<em>  
><em>I can get you out, I promise.<em>  
>And the young man had mentioned his brother.<br>Kobra Kid had pressed him for more information, in hurried whispers he had begged, but the young scientist had muttered apology after apology as he'd backed away. There hadn't been enough time, and he'd risked being questioned for even coming close to Kobra Kid's cell.  
>Korse was very particular about who approached his prized captives.<br>"We'll get him back." Jet Star blurted out suddenly, voice confident, "We're getting out of here and we're getting him back."

* * *

><p>The young scientist repeated the code in his head, running over the numbers and letters in his mind repeatedly. They were practically seared into his memory, but he continued the exercise nonetheless. Everything depended on his remembering that code.<p>

He moved slowly through the bedchambers, checking the vitals of the prone Scarecrows, particularly the intravenous lines that sustained their nutrition as well as the steady supply of BL/Ind. drugs.  
>He paused at the side of the man whose name he had just learned.<br>_Party Poison._  
>He didn't understand the names that the rebels chose to call themselves by but he figured he'd have time to get used to them.<br>Maybe, one day, he'd pick one of his own.  
>It felt strange. He was at the cusp of change, of leaving everything he knew behind and he just couldn't bring himself to feel sad. Scared yes, but not miserable.<br>There was nothing left for him here.  
>He laid his hand on Party's shoulder, even though he knew that in this state the man could not hear or feel anything.<br>"We're getting out soon. So you just hold on."

* * *

><p>Dr. Death Defying ran his fingers through the short hairs of his beard, trying to think of the best way to approach what he was about to tell the Killjoys that were gathered before him.<p>

Both Zone leaders had fixed him with expectant stares.  
>"I received a call today…"He began, glancing briefly at Show Pony.<br>Mutters of excitement filled the small room.  
>"Does that mean the communications are fixed?" Motorbaby asked, leaning forward in her chair.<br>Dr. Death Defying shook his head. _Well it was now or never. _  
>"The call came from Battery City, with a comm. code from BLInd. tech."  
>The room fell silent abruptly and Sugar Fiend was on her feet in an instant, usually calm face open in way none of them had seen in a long time.<br>Dr. Death Defying nodded at the look in her searching eyes.  
>"They're alive. Kobra Kid and Sonic Zombie talked to Show Pony."<br>For a moment, nothing happened.  
>Then the place burst into cheers, loud whoops and sounds of joy and Sugar Fiend sighed in relief. Her gut instinct hadn't failed her.<br>She'd felt, she'd somehow known that they weren't gone.  
>She smiled, accepting Motorbaby's effusive handshake and Lady Luck's hug and Little Red's clap on the shoulder.<br>"When do we get them out?"  
>Dr. Death Defying grinned at her. "There's just one more stop we have to make."<br>Sugar Fiend's eyebrows shot up, "Crimson Sigh?"  
>"Definitely."<br>Sugar Fiend was about to reply when Show Pony came running in.  
>It was weird to see him without his roller skates but they had no time to ask as the young man burst into a rapid-fire explanation.<br>"Dr. D! There's a call coming in, to the comm. unit in the van."  
>Dr. Death Defying knew that calls from Battery City could be tracked by BLInd. in a matter of seconds. Whoever was trying to contact them was risking a lot.  
>And that risk merited more than a missed call because a man couldn't make it to the van fast enough in his wheelchair.<br>"Go," He spoke, looking directly at Sugar Fiend and Motorbaby.  
>The two Zone leaders went to the door instantly.<p>

* * *

><p>"Come on, come on…"<p>

The young scientist looked around him frantically. He didn't have much time left.  
>He'd spoken with what sounded to be a young man and asked for Dr. Death Defying, just as the brown-haired man had said. After that, there had been nothing more than static.<br>_Please, please, please…_  
>Breathing hard and fast, he almost dropped the radio when a female voice came through.<br>"Motorbaby here, that you Kobra?"  
>He was puzzled.<br>"I need to talk to Dr. Death Defying."  
>"Who are you?"<br>There was heavy suspicion in her tone, and he could hear other voices in the background debating what to do.  
>"Look, I don't have time for this. The man you know as 'Kobra' gave me this code to call, and told me to ask for Dr. Death Defying. I'm just trying to help."<br>There was a brief silence.  
>"There are five of them here. I'm trying to get them out, but I can't do it by myself. I can get them as far as the outskirts of Battery City, but from there, I need your help, can I count on you?"<p>

* * *

><p>The gathered Killjoys couldn't contain their surprise as the unexpected male voice, fraught with urgency, explained what it was he needed.<p>

And when he asked if he could count on them, Motorbaby glanced at Sugar Fiend. This was a decision that they had to make together.  
>Sugar Fiend gave a short nod.<br>"Yeah," Motorbaby spoke into the radio, "You can definitely count on us, whoever you are. Now, what do you need?"  
><em>"Basically, speed. Once I make it to the outskirts of Battery City with them, we're going to need to get away as fast and as quietly as possible. You probably had in mind that starting a battle somewhere nearby would work as a distraction, <em>  
>Motorbaby and Fiend shared a look.<br>_"But that's just going to get them riled up and angry. What we need is quick and subtle."_  
>Motorbaby shook her head, "And what makes you the expert on logistics?"<br>_"I know how BL/Ind. will respond because I used to work for them."_  
>That admission changed everything.<br>Motorbaby's voice was icy, "and you think we'll trust you, now that you've told us what you are?"  
><em>"Were. Look, I know that you can't just trust me out of the blue. But I'm not looking for your trust right now, I'm looking for your help, to rescue your friends.<em>  
>Motorbaby grit her teeth. She could be leading at least a dozen Killjoys to their death.<br>"Just tell me why, why are you doing this?"  
>There was a pause.<br>_"Because I want to be free…and because I'm a human being and I can't stand to watch a cruel machine hurt them anymore._  
>All the gathered killjoys inhaled sharply. Dr. Death Defying, who had finally made it out of the base, looked away.<br>_Of course. Of course there had to be another side. Had they honestly thought that BL/Ind., that Korse, would not take advantage of the greatest capture they had ever made?_  
>"Okay," Motorbaby finally said, closing her eyes, "We'll be there."<br>_"Tonight," the young man said with conviction and confidence, "Just as midnight strikes. Meet me at the west exit of the Battery City borders."_  
>"We don't even know your name."<br>There was hesitation, and then,  
>"Brian Pelissier."<p>

* * *

><p>Brian set the radio down. He'd built the perfect program to mask his communication with the zones for three minutes. He had talked for three minutes and ten seconds. Only ten seconds over, but those tiny little moment could have cost them everything. It wasn't just his life on the line. There was five other lives, plus however many other rebels had been listening. If someone had found him out…<p>

The young scientist shook his head. It was a couple of hours until the sun dropped, and then only four or five hours until midnight.  
>Between the guard change at 11:40 and the rescue arriving at 12:00, he'd have only around twenty minutes to get the five men from Battery City to its western limits.<br>Then again, he didn't posses a genius level IQ for nothing.  
>He'd already come up with a plan that would get them all safely to the Scarecrow unit, where they'd pick up their sixth man before splitting for the border.<br>He looked at his watch. Seven hours left. Plenty of time to gather what materials he wanted to take. BL/Ind. would never think that one of its own men, a scientist that they had trained, would work against it.  
>The element of surprise was theirs.<br>He could only hope that nothing went wrong.

* * *

><p>Kobra Kid began to attribute his uneasiness to more than nerves when he started feeling hot. He pulled at the starched collar of his white shirt and rolled up his sleeves.<p>

He wasn't aware that he'd moaned his discomfort out loud until three concerned voices asked if he was okay.  
>He answered that he didn't know.<br>"Fuck." Sonic Zombie cursed, running a hand through his hair.  
>Jet Star immediately asked Fun Ghoul to place his hand against Kobra's forehead.<br>Kobra Kid was reluctant to move, more so because he hated to show weakness than the fact that his muscles seemed to have frozen themselves taut.  
>He eventually listened to Jet and Ghoul and allowed the younger man to place the back of his tattooed hand against his forehead.<br>"Shit, he's fucking burning."  
>Jet Star cursed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose.<br>"He's sick," Jet Star declared, frustration sneaking into his voice.  
>"It must be the drugs, some kind of reaction or allergy," Sonic Zombie voiced, sighing when three faces turned to look at him with surprise. He chuckled without humor, "It's in your food most likely. They haven't yet started to inject you directly."<br>"But the pills–"  
>Sonic shook his head emphatically. "The pills are for the general population. Injections go directly into your bloodstream. They're faster. Exactly what they'd want."<br>Jet Star and Fun Ghoul cursed again as Kobra Kid dropped his head into his hands, running his fingers through his cropped hair. _They had cut all of their hair short, even Jet's.  
><em>He closed his eyes.  
>"If I get sicker…"<br>Fun Ghoul knew what he was going to say and he turned to him, face serious and voice nearly a growl.  
>"Don't you dare ask us to leave you behind, don't you fucking dare Kobra."<br>Kobra Kid sighed, trying to hide the strain in his voice.  
>"Ghoul, if I can't–"<br>"Then I'm dragging your skinny ass to the car or whatever the hell it is we're riding in. You're not getting away from me that easily Kid."  
>The two men looked at each other, there was something in Fun Ghoul's eyes, something close to the surface, and Kobra knew what it was.<br>_Please, Kobra. I had to watch your brother die. I won't leave you behind_.  
>And years ago, Fun Ghoul had promised Party Poison that he'd look after his younger brother, that he would do his best to protect him should anything ever happen to Party.<br>The young scientist had promised them that he was alive, but he'd denied to answer every other question and Ghoul could feel the trepidation roiling in his stomach.  
><em>Korse had loathed Party with shocking intensity. The red-haired Killjoy had been the company's number one enemy, the fearless leader and representative and symbol. He knew so much, held so much information in his brilliant mind and BLInd. would tear that apart, without so much as a glance, in order to accomplish what they wanted._  
>Fun Ghoul ground his teeth. He wouldn't think about that now.<br>"We're not leaving you behind, you twig. Now shut up and rest."  
>Kobra Kid smiled at him, "Who are you calling a twig?"<p>

* * *

><p>"Show, you're gunning the pedal right?"<p>

_"Of course Dr. D. I'm approaching the edge of Zone 6 in five or so minutes."_  
>"All right kid, that means we'll be unable to reach you in a few minutes. You keep your gun close and you and Space Biscuit take care of each other, you hear?"<br>_"Will do, Dr. D. We'll be back in time, with Crimson Sigh in tow. Over and out."_  
>Dr. Death was about to reply when a high-pitched whine came from the radio in his hand.<br>Show Pony and Space Biscuit had reached the border of Zone 6 and gone beyond it, where Dr. Death's equipment could no longer broadcast.  
>A hand fell gently on his shoulder and he looked up, meeting Wolf Venom's gray eyes.<br>"They'll be fine Dr. Death. Space Biscuit is a damn good driver and I've seen Show Pony shoot. They'll be back in no time with Crim."  
>Dr. Death nodded. "How is Fiend holding up?"<br>"She's fine. Or at least, she will be. She's finally gotten an answer."  
>"And a good one at that."<br>Wolf Venom smiled, "A great one. She was pretty close to the Fabulous Killjoys as well. Party Poison in particular."  
>"That man sure did enjoy a lot of attention," Dr. Death mentioned, a wry grin on his face, "They all did in one way or another I think."<br>Wolf Venom was quick to nod. "I was more partial to Jet Star's company myself…It'll be great to have them back."  
>"I heard your Zone has recently gotten a new addition."<br>Wolf Venom almost frowned, but he caught himself. He liked to be fair, and sharing unfounded feelings of unease would be _un_fair to their newest member, Battery Bled.  
>Still, he couldn't help but be wary of the stranger.<br>_You're being paranoid Wolf_.  
>"Yeah, we've expanded by one."<br>Dr. Death had spent time around Party Poison and Fun Ghoul, two men who believed that they had to keep everything in check, that they had to be strong at all times. He'd become an expert at reading the little nuances and intonations that gave away what they didn't want to say. Therefore, he was quick to notice the sudden doubt that clouded Wolf Venom's face for just the briefest of moments.  
>"You get along with him?"<br>Wolf Venom gave him a tight smile. "Space Biscuit says that I'm jealous, something about male territory."  
>Dr. Death laughed, "What do you think?"<br>Wolf Venom sighed, "I think I just need some time to get used to the idea of another member being at the base. There's way more Killjoys in Zone 7 than are at the hospital, and they drop by occasionally to visit…And after what happened with Renegade Turncoat…she hurt them bad. I was pretty new to the group when it happened but…you just don't do that to family."  
>"She hurt you too. Forced you to make a hard decision."<br>Wolf marveled at the older man. He could cut through to the heart of an issue with speed and accuracy that the tattooed Killjoy had never experienced before.  
>"I…I didn't want to leave him behind…I took her away from him."<br>"I'm sure she doesn't hold it against you."  
>"Maybe Fiend doesn't. And maybe Sonic won't either, since he's the one that told me to do it."<br>"But you blame yourself."  
>"Blunt as always, Dr. Death.," Wolf scratched at the little black hairs on the nape of his neck, "But yeah, I guess I feel guilty…I guess I feel like I should have tried harder. Done something differently. Maybe if I'd noticed something earlier…"<br>"You aren't a machine, Wolf. You're a human being, and you can't help but trust someone who calls themselves your friend, someone who's lived with you and fought with you. People make mistakes. _We_ make mistakes."  
>Wolf Venom nodded slowly, blushing slightly as he realized that he'd just shared so much in the space of a few minutes. And at a time that was wholly inconvenient.<br>"Thank you Dr. Death…I, um…I guess I needed that."  
>"We all do from time to time, Wolf. We all do."<p>

* * *

><p>"We need to be as quiet as possible," Motorbaby stated.<p>

"But we also need to be as fast as possible," Sugar Fiend added.  
>The two Zone leaders were sitting opposite each other, using an empty conference room located on the first floor of the hospital that served as the Zone 7 headquarters.<br>The others were gathered around them, sitting or standing, leaning against the wall.  
>"So, what do we take?" Rocketship Dropout asked, shaking out her brown, curly hair.<br>"My jeep will work. Ammo Annihilation brought it by yesterday when I didn't return as planned."  
>Sugar Fiend nodded. "Should we take bikes?"<br>"The guy who called us hinted that they might be hurt, in one way or another," Little Red interjected, "One or more may not be in any condition to ride."  
>"And," Lady Luck added, "Bikes leave all riders open to ray gun blasts."<br>"So," Sugar Fiend posited, shaking out her red bangs, "It comes down to a question of safety or speed."  
>"Speed is safety in a way," Motorbaby stated, "How about we have some Killjoys on bikes, to provide cover. Those in condition to ride get on with those with bikes. The ones too injured ride in the jeep."<br>"I also suggest we add Dr. Death's van, and my truck, just as a precaution."  
>All the Killjoys turned at the sound of a new voice.<br>Both Zone leaders greeted the newcomer with a salute, as the other Killjoys approached him.  
>"Good to see you again Crimson."<br>"Glad to be included, Fiend, Motorbaby. So, when are we getting the fabulous four back?"

* * *

><p>Sugar Fiend gladly took the can of Power Pup that Little Red offered her. The younger woman would be staying behind, along with Battery Bled, Show Pony and Dr. Death Defying.<p>

"Thanks, Red."  
>"No problem…you watch your back out there, and don't do anything stupid. Or I'll get mad."<br>Fiend grinned at her, "Now, we wouldn't want that, would we?"  
>Little Red gave her a small smile. "Definitely not."<p>

* * *

><p>They finished loading up their gear near two o'clock.<br>Motorbaby had stashed a healthy amount of gauze and medication in the jeep, along with some water and Power Pup. She removed the bulky communication box from the front, and stripped the secret compartment behind the driver's seat of its assorted small bazookas.  
>She smiled fondly when she saw them.<br>_Fun Ghoul had built them for her._  
>The bikes were loaded up with only ammo.<br>Every vehicle would be traveling light; good for speed but if they were somehow stuck in the middle of the desert…  
>Motorbaby shook her head. It was bad luck to think of everything could go wrong.<br>She climbed into the driver's seat of the jeep and checked the dashboard lights.  
>Everything seemed to be in order.<br>She looked at Lady Luck, who was sitting next to her, then back at Wolf Venom.  
>A glance at the rearview mirror brought Sugar Fiend into focus, already revving her bright yellow bike.<br>Space Biscuit was next to her, mounted on Motorbaby's own military camouflaged vehicle.  
>Crimson Sigh was behind them, driving his truck, with Sequin Anarchy riding shotgun.<br>Mercurial Crash was in the Zone 6 van, Rocketship Dropout next to her.  
><em>The bikes would take the lead, and scout ahead a couple of miles.<em>_  
><em>The jeep would follow closely, with the truck and van holding the rear.<em>_  
>Motorbaby closed her eyes and took a deep breath…<p>

* * *

><p>Brian checked the items in his bag one more time. It was bulky and heavy, due to everything that he'd stashed inside, but he'd already had to part with so many things. He placed it under the back seats of the black BLInd. transporter.

The car was medium-sized, built to transport at the most four men in the back.  
>It was faster than the larger sized white van, and made to get smaller units across the desert ground quickly under the cover of night.<br>He hoped that the ingenuity of the BL/Ind. engineers would pay off that night.  
>With one last glance at the quickly darkening sky, he went back inside.<br>There was a prototype weapon in the Arms Department that he'd been dying to get his hands on.

* * *

><p>Kobra Kid's rest was fitful and interrupted. He knew he was raging with fever but that didn't make the images that swam before him any less terrifying.<p>

There was Korse, for a brief time, standing above him, white ray gun pointed at his head.  
>Then there was Party. His red hair blew in some unknown breeze but his gaze was far away, distant and cold in a way that chilled Kobra to the bones.<br>He tried calling to him, talking to him, but Party just kept staring at him, silent and unmoving.  
>He awoke sluggishly to several people calling his name.<br>"Kobra? Kobra!"  
>It was Fun Ghoul's voice, unnervingly close.<br>_Wait, what?_  
>His eyes popped open to Ghoul's face right above his own.<br>He startled heavily and Ghoul gripped his arms to steady him.  
>"We have to be quick." a voice in the shadows urged.<br>"Give him a few more seconds."  
>"We don't have a few more seconds! I made it so that this blackout will last for a total of five minutes, enough for us to get out and for the program I wrote and introduced into the mainframe to override live video feed. We have to go now!"<br>A flashlight shone on his face and he blinked harshly against the brightness.  
>"Come on Kobra, up we go."<br>Ghoul had slung his arm over his own shoulders and was helping them to stand.  
>And then they were moving.<p>

* * *

><p>Brian couldn't stop the string of curses that flew from his mouth.<p>

He chanced a quick glance behind him to see that the two men were still supporting the brown haired one who'd fallen I'll.  
>He hadn't planned on any of them being so riddled with fever but he tried desperately to keep calm. It didn't help that the other prisoners were now shouting in alarm and banging against their cell bars, perhaps hopping that the power outage was some sort of rescue attempt.<br>He needed to maintain a cool head in order to lead them through the myriad of underground corridors.  
>The lighting returned just a few seconds before they were all out of the door and the prison block and he hoped that the pre-recorded video feed would have been enough to calm the suspicions of any Drac security guard that had been watching the screens.<br>Just as they were at the exit doors, he stopped and dropped the bag that he'd been carrying all along.  
>They seemed puzzled and disconcerted by his sudden stop so close to freedom but calmed when they saw him pull the first Draculoid mask out of the bag.<br>Though their prisoner uniforms were all white and essentially the same as the Dracs', there were subtle differences that he hoped the cover of darkness would hide.  
>Right now, the guard was being changed, practically eliminating the possibility of them running into any drone but that didn't mean that they could be reckless.<br>When he saw that all their masks were on, he started forward again.  
>"Stay behind me and act like you belong. Don't speak, don't make any sudden movement or noise. If you're directly questioned, keep your voice as flat and emotionless as possible."<br>Brian kept moving. _They just had to make it to the transport. He hadn't counted on one of them being ill, it could be disastrous to the plan, but they could do it. They had to._

* * *

><p>Fun Ghoul moved with purpose. Kobra's near dead weight was exhausting but he kept moving.<p>

He was vaguely aware of the cold that bit harshly at his skin but it felt so good to breathe air that wasn't recycled, even if it was through the rubber of a Draculoid mask. He could see the starry night sky for the first time in days.  
>Before long, they were in front of a jet-black vehicle. He could barely see its outline but Brian led them forward confidently.<br>"The back will hold four. Someone needs to ride up front with me."  
>"Whoa, hold up. Where's Party?" Fun Ghoul growled.<p>

Kobra stirred violently at the mention of the name and Ghoul and Jet had to hold him tighter to prevent the slender man from hitting the ground.

"You…promised." Kobra managed to grit out.

Sonic Zombie made a move towards him, no doubt to strangle the truth out of him. Brian stood his ground.

"He was being kept in another compound. We need to drive there and pick him up. It's close to the western exit but it's fairly well guarded…And he's going to have to stay in the transport," he finished, nodding at Kobra.

Ghoul wanted to protest. Leaving him alone in the car could be as good as sentencing him to death.

"I'll stay with him," Jet voiced, "He's right, Kobra will slow you down and someone has to stay with him. Who better than the medic of the group?"

"Okay," Brian nodded, "Then you two will come with me."

"I'll ride up front," Fun Ghoul said. He wanted to keep an eye on the young man.

Sonic Zombie nodded and helped Jet Star get Kobra into the back.

Blankets had been placed there, as well as a small first aid kit and Jet quickly picked it up, rifling through the contents for something to try to bring Kobra's fever down.

He frowned as he saw several vials of sedative but kept looking, finally finding a clear bottle full of a light red liquid that claimed to combat fever.

With Sonic's help, he wrapped a blanket around Kobra's shivering shoulders and settled his friend against his chest.

Sonic passed him one of the white ray guns that had fallen out of the pile of blankets when they'd moved it and took one for himself.

The vehicle started moving and Jet Star closed his eyes and sighed with relief.

Soon, Party Poison would be back with them and Jet was itching to hear the other man's voice again.

And Sonic Zombie could only look at the floor of the vehicle and wonder what would happen when they all found out the horrible truth that had already been haunting him.

* * *

><p>Fun Ghoul fidgeted in his seat.<p>

They passed the imposing towers and skyscrapers of Battery City easily.

The streets were deserted and dark. There were no streetlights as all citizens were expected to be inside. Their curfew had ended almost four hours ago.

"I'm Brian," the young scientist volunteered.

Fun Ghoul cast him a sidelong glance. "Fun Ghoul…sick one's Kobra Kid, tall one's Jet Star and slightly less tall one's Sonic Zombie…And the one we're picking up now–"

"Party Poison," Brian whispered as they pulled up to the building, "Listen…he's…he's a little different than what you probably remember."

Ghoul's head whipped around to look at him. The Draculoid mask was unsettling, Brian decided.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Brian turned away, reaching for the door handle and stepping out.

"We're here."

Ghoul turned once more to the building, reading the clean cut letters painted on the glass doors.

S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W UNIT

_No, no, no, God, please…No._

He was shaking, with anger, with guilt, with sadness or disbelief. With helpless fury because this was a lie. It had to be.

_No._

"Stay behind me and say nothing."

"No!" he snarled, surprising even himself with the cold fury in his voice, "You tell me right now why we're here."

Brian looked away.

"Because he's in there."

* * *

><p>"The checkup on the Scarecrow units was performed at the scheduled time, five hours ago. You were assigned to checkup yesterday. Dr. Anderson handled it today."<p>

Brian heaved a put-upon sigh, glaring at the Draculoid as he flashed his photo ID once more.

"I have authorization to check on them again. It's routine to perform two checks at least once a month, you know that."

He hoped that the Draculoid did not remember that the double check had taken place at the beginning of the month.

Finally, the drone nodded once and let him pass.

But he stopped Ghoul and Sonic.

"Why have you brought Dracs with you?"

"I came straight from the prisoner block," Brian hissed, "are you questioning my motives, Drac? Need I remind you that I am your superior?"

The Draculoid stepped back.

"I apologize sir."

Brian waved the two disguised rebels forward and fixed the Drac with one last glare before moving.

His heart pounded in his chest and he felt short of breath.

_They were running out of time._

* * *

><p>Fun Ghoul couldn't contain the sharp gasp that left his mouth when Brian scanned them through to the Scarecrow chambers.<p>

There were rows upon rows of the pods that he'd first awoken in, only these had no covers.

He wanted to be sick as the moved quickly past the strange beds that held the prone Scarecrows.

A constant and steady beeping noise permeated the room, _the sound of more than sixty heart monitors in synchronization_. And the spiking lines of a device that he could only assume to be brain wave monitors were all the _same_.

Brian finally stopped next to a pod near the far end of the wall and Ghoul hesitated.

He didn't want to go. He didn't want to see Party Poison, his friend, _his brother_, like this.

_No. No…_

But he forced his feet to move. He owed it to him.

Sonic placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We, uh…we need to be careful when we take him out," Brian said, working quickly, but carefully removing the intravenous lines that had been positioned on the inside of Party's arm at the crook of his elbow.

And in the glaring light Ghoul didn't miss the track marks that lined Party's inner forearm, or the thick black numbers that had been tattooed on the back of his hands, or the same numbers that had been cruelly branded upon his neck, next to a still-healing scar and he fought the urge to scream and to cry and to rip everything in the room to shreds.

He was shaking again.

"These will have to be removed later," Brian stated, motioning to slight bumps just visible on Party's inner arm.

"What the hell are those?" Sonic asked.

"They're tiny implants, to keep the lines secure and provide a clean port for attaching them."

Brian had been horrified when Peter, the older scientist that he'd trained under, had explained everything in the room to him.

"I'm going to wake him up, so that we can get him to the transport…And when we get there," The scientist looked straight at Sonic, "I need you to sedate him."

"You won't poison him with any more drugs," Ghoul roared. They'd cut his hair, and the red had faded and they'd turned him into _this._ No more, no more, _no more_.

"He will be confused when we start to drive away, when he realizes that you aren't Draculoids and that there is no mission assigned to him. He'll want to return."

"You fucking liar!"

Brian had had enough. He slammed his hands against the monitor he'd been working on overriding.

"I know this is hard for you, I can't even imagine…but this is no time to grieve or to get angry. Your best revenge is to escape, to keep running."

Ghoul fixed him with a pointed stare.

There was no way that the kid had come up with the last words on his own.

And yet…

Brian just shook his head and continued typing on the touch pad.

"I know you'll want to talk to him, but you'll confuse him. You'll need to keep quiet."

It was killing him, slowly slashing his heart into bloody strips but Ghoul nodded.

Brian leaned in close, "S#717, you are being moved. Exterminator K–" his voice broke and he cleared his throat, "Exterminator Korse requires it of you."

Party's eyes snapped open and Ghoul looked away, immediately and swiftly and he clenched his hands into tight fists and shook because Party's eyes _his beautiful hazel eyes_ were vacant and cold.

_He wasn't there._

Party _it wasn't him, it wasn't _was standing and looking to Brian for further instruction when Ghoul turned back

_The perfect little machine._

Brian had brought in an extra Draculoid mask and he now pulled it from his long white coat, placing it carefully around Party's head.

"Let's go."

And all that Fun Ghoul could think about was that Kobra would surely die if he saw his brother like this.

* * *

><p>They moved at a steady pace, past the front door again, and the Draculoid who'd been there earlier tilted his head at the fact that the group had grown by one but he said nothing as Brian glared at him and signed the exit log.<p>

It was the last thing he'd ever do at the company.

Once out the glass doors, they held the act until they were close to the car.

Brian knocked twice on the closed back doors.

They opened to Jet Star sitting on the floor, Kobra between his legs and propped against his chest, eyes closed, sleeping if the gentle rise and fall of his chest was anything to go by.

Jet lowered his weapon and his face split into a wide grin.

"Party, you have no idea how good it is to see you my friend!"

And Brian opened his mouth to intervene and Ghoul motioned for him to stop but they were too late.

Party came to life, making a strange, animal-like noise of surprise before he started to back away. Brian told Sonic and Jet to get a sedative as Ghoul immediately snatched his friend's arm and Party responded with surprising dexterous rage, twisting around so that Ghoul was forced to let go or risk having his own arm dislocated.

Brian panicked, "S#717, stop!"

It came out louder than he had meant, more threatening but it did the trick and Party paused, unsure.

Sonic approached him quickly, ignoring the horror on Jet Star's face and the fact that Kobra Kid was beginning to stir.

He was quick, coming behind the unpredictable man and grabbed him from behind.

Party struggled, hands coming immediately to claw at the strong arm holding him by the neck.

And Ghoul was loathe to do it but he stepped forward and plunged the needle into Party's thigh.

It was only seconds before Party went slack, but the damage was done.

"Scientist! Explain why you've removed a Scarecrow without proper authorization from Exterminator Korse!"

The Draculoid from earlier was striding to where they were, hand flying up, radio in place and Sonic took action.

He pulled out the white ray gun, aimed and fired.

The shot sounded impossibly loud in the dead quiet of night, as loud as the body of the Drac crumpling to the floor.

"Shit, we have to get out of here now."

Brian ran a shaky hand through his hand and quickly helped Ghoul and Sonic move Party into the back. His stomach churned at the distress on Jet Star's face, but they had no time. As soon as Sonic Zombie got in, he closed the back doors, making sure the latch was secure before running to the driver's seat as he looked at his watch.

_13 minutes left._

* * *

><p>With a murmured request, Jet Star gently shifted Kobra Kid into Sonic Zombie's arms and took Party Poison into his own.<p>

He removed the rubber mask swiftly, pausing when the palm of his hand brushed against raised and smooth skin.

He looked down and bit his fist to keep from crying out.

The brand _S#717 _stood out starkly against Party's pale skin and Jet Star wanted to scream.

He settled for wrapping his arms securely around his smaller friend, clutching him tightly, feeling the lean muscles that he suspected were the result of BL/Ind. steroid treatments. He knew he should just let it be, at least for the time being, _don't do this to yourself, Jet, _but he pulled up Party's sleeve just the same.

Track marks dotted the inside of both his arms and with a careful finger he felt the small, raised bumps at the crook of his friend's left arm.

He tilted Party's chin up and looked at the scar there, _where Korse had pressed his white ray gun against his leader's throat and taken the shot, _noticing immediately that it was neat, impossibly straight and barely there.

What more had they done to him? What more could they have possible hurt and taken away?

He remembered Party's violent reaction, his display of newfound, drug-induced strength as he'd fought off Ghoul, the blank and dead stare of his eyes and Jet Star dug his fingers into his friend's shoulders.

"Come on Party. You've got to snap out of it friend. Come on."

* * *

><p><strong>So now you know the name of the young scientist who helped the Killjoys escape!<strong>

**I chose it as a combination of the following two people: Brian Schechter and Matt Pelissier. Brian was MCR's first manager and all-around friend. The deep bond between him and the band, particularly with Gerard, can be seen in their interviews as well as the movie, "Life On the Murder Scene". He was the one that Gerard called one night, in the AM, when Gerard admitted that he had a drug and alcohol problem and wanted to kill himself. From what I've seen, his friendship and guidance helped the band stay together and get through that rough time. So I played off of that rescue into Brian the scientist also saving not only Party Poison, but the other Killjoys as well. Matt Pelissier was MCR's first drummer, and I'm writing it so that Brian is his son. Which means that Matt is on BL/Ind.'s Board and a close friend of the Director, the nameless and faceless character that I've made the leader of BL/Ind.**

**This also brings me to another point. I've watched many, many interviews and done a lot of research on the Killjoy universe that MCR wanted to create. In one particular interview, Gerard stated that it was never intended for BL/Ind. to be strictly the representation of evil, just as the Killjoys were not intended to be the only symbol of good. What I've taken from that is that either side has its pros and cons, either side can be seen as doing good things or bad things. On one hand, Bl/Ind. have rid the world of war and pain and suffering, at the expense of the elimination of all emotion. And the Killjoys can in a way, basically be considered terrorists, using chaos to bring back a world that though imperfect, at least gave emotions like love and empathy a chance to triumph. Brian is my evidence that all that comes from BL/Ind. isn't inhuman (along with a pivotal character I will soon introduce) and the various traitors that will soon be popping up in the lives of the Killjoys represent the fact that even the rebels with a good cause can be tainted. **

**And after that REALLY long author's note, I leave you with one last wish:**

**MORE REVIEWS FOR A NEW YEAR! **


	6. Terra Firma

**In all honesty, I meant to update on Sunday, the end of the week as I had promised. However, FF dot net had other ideas. Such as wreaking havoc on the format of the story, logging me off unexpectedly as well as flooding my inbox with update alerts to stories I've never even _heard _of. And to top it all off, my internet also joined in the rebellion.**

**To cut this rant short, I present to you the next chapter! **

**Many thanks to those that have taken the time to review. **

**A/N #1: This is a continuation to "Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison: And One Time They Couldn't." I would suggest reading that first in order to get a feel for what is going on, especially the last two chapters as they deal with 'Na Na Na' and 'SING'. All the OC Killjoys are introduced there.**

**A/N #2: My good friend, Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior, and I have been working on the Dangerverse/Killjoy world together. Though this particular piece is not co-authored, we've collaborated on several ideas. Her latest work, a spectacular read, is ****"Disenchanted". Definitely check it out!**

**PLEASE DO REMEMBER TO REVIEW: WRITER'S ARE DISCOURAGED OTHERWISE AND DON'T FEEL LIKE UPDATING :c**

* * *

><p><strong>Keep Running<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Terra Firma<strong>

* * *

><p>Sugar Fiend was on high alert, goggle-protected eyes scanning the night sky.<p>

The moon was at its crescent stage and provided little light, but the powerful beam of her bike showed her what lay a few feet ahead.

She held her radio to her masked face.

"Everything all right, Biscuit?"

_"Just fine Fiend. Keep alert."_

Fiend dialed another code.

"Everything looks clear, Motorbaby. Tell Crim for me will you?"

_"Sure thing Fiend. Don't worry about it."_

They had passed the last Zone marker over half an hour ago, a clear indication that they'd left the zones.

The ground underneath them became smooth asphalt, and within minutes they passed the first black and white sign that marked the outer edges of Battery City.

Sugar Fiend held a closed fist up, signaling a stop.

Next to her, Space Biscuit eased off the throttle and the Jeep, van and truck behind her slowed to a standstill.

Now, it was all a matter of patience.

Sugar Fiend drew her raygun. Better to be caught prepared than unaware.

* * *

><p>Brian stepped on the gas of the vehicle, launching it across the paved roads of Battery City. They were quickly approaching the Western exit.<p>

"I don't know if there will be guards there already or not. We're a little late."

"Yeah." Fun Ghoul said simply, feeling that the words were more than appropriate, hitting closer to home than he would have liked.

"Look under the seat," Brian said, taking a sharp turn that lurched the vehicle to the left, "If they're there, I'll try to get them to open the gate. They might try to check the back, and that's when you'll have to take them out."

Fun Ghoul did as he was told, searching for a few minutes until his fingers touched something smooth and long.

He pulled the weapon out and examined it closely.

It was a white rifle, scoped and almost beautiful in its promised danger.

"It has a targeting system, locks on to whatever you want to shoot," Brian mentioned, "It was a new prototype, first and only one made."

Fun Ghoul allowed himself a little grin at that. Dracs were usually bad shooters, and a targeting system could make them much more lethal, perhaps more so than the Scarecrows. He was glad that BL/Ind. now no longer had such a weapon.

He wasn't a sharp shooter, _no, he'd rather fight close range or hold a bazooka, Party had been the long distance expert, followed closely by Jet._

He placed the butt of the rifle against his shoulder.

"Pull the bolt handle once to turn it on," Brian stated, making another swerve.

Ghoul pulled on it and the weapon seemed to come to life. The scope lit up a light green, and the stripe that ran on the side of the weapon from its stock to its forestock glowed a gentle white.

"It does have a bit of recoil though, so hold on to it."

Ghoul nodded absently, looking through the scope.

It amplified the world around him, lighting up the darkness in a hazy green color.

"Does it have infrared?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't always work. The radiation messes with it a lot. Or so I've heard."

"How do I lock on?"

"Pull on the trigger once. A red dot should appear on your target."

Fun Ghoul pointed the muzzle towards the window, fixed the side mirror in the crosshairs and pulled the trigger once.

Just as Brian had said, a small red dot blinked at him through the scope.

He was about to ask about the weapon's accuracy when Brian told him to put it away.

"We're coming up on the exit booth."

A Draculoid came out of the small white stand, raising a hand, signaling them to stop.

Brian slowed the car down, swallowed thickly, and prepared the lie.

"Identification," The Draculoid stated simply, as Brian opened the window and flashed his ID.

The Draculoid typed on his handheld touch pad. "You were not authorized a transport Dr. Pelissier."

"Check your list again."

The Drac looked down again and Brian gave Ghoul a look out of the corner of his eyes.

Ghoul quickly drew out the rifle, aimed and fired. The shot was muted and the rifle kicked back against his shoulder, but Ghoul held it steady and took aim again, this time staring out through the scope at the second Drac that had come out of the booth.

The black-haired Killjoy dropped him with a clean shot to the head.

Brian stepped on the gas once more and they shot straight through the barrier.

The sound of the splintering wood reminded Ghoul of the first time he'd heard that sound.

_More than two weeks ago, when they'd first come to the cursed city in the Trans AM, to rescue Grace._

He allowed the thought to fade, _it hurt too much, brought up things that he wasn't ready to deal with._

Ghoul slid the Drac mask off, anger making his finger rougher as he allowed the thing to fall to his lap, from where he swept it to the car floor. He licked his lips, and looked out the window.

The car was eating up ground fast.

"Will he…"he paused, unsure. _Did he really want to know, right at this moment? Did he really want to spoil the success of the great escape they'd just accomplished?_ "Will he get better?"

Brian would not meet his eyes but there was confidence in his voice.

"His reprogramming began a little over a week ago. He wasn't…wasn't strong enough before that. We got him out before the last round of the reprogramming drugs could be administered…with time, he will get better."

"How long?"

Brian shook his head. "I don't know, it's never been attempted before. Party Poison will be the first that will ever be brought back."

Ghoul grit his teeth. He knew the kid had just saved them, had just risked his life for all of them but he'd been working for BL/Ind. before, he'd gone along with them before.

"Why?"

Brian gave him a perplexed glance.

"Is this some kind of freaking experiment for you?"

The young scientist's hands clenched around the steering wheel. "No. It never was, and it never will be. I won't hurt him, or you, or anyone else."

Ghoul sighed. "I-I'm just…I'm sorry, I guess. I don't mean to be mistrustful."

"And I don't mean to sound aloof or detached, it's just…" Brian cleared his throat, "I'm leaving behind everything I know, all on a gut feeling…"

"Just a gut feeling?"

"Maybe more of a change of heart."

Ghoul nodded absently, shifting his tight grip around the scoped rifle.

"Will he be the same?"

"There shouldn't be any adverse effects…but he'll be going through withdrawal."

Ghoul closed his eyes. _Not again, not again._

He flashed back more than a decade, to a time when Party,_no, not Party…it was Gerard,_ had spent a long time lost in oblivion, in the darkness of the addiction that had once consumed him.

_"I'll get better." Gerard had insisted as Frank had helped him up, off the ground._

He shook his head to clear the memories away.

* * *

><p>Brian kept his eyes on the road ahead. His fingers itched, he wanted to turn on the radio system and hear whether or not his treachery had been discovered. But the signal might be used to track them, and he stilled his impulses.<p>

The man next to him seemed to be far away but Brian couldn't allow himself to be distracted. The powerful light beams of the transport illuminated the rough desert ground a good few feet ahead.

He spotted it in the distance, growing closer and something that tasted of triumph rose in his chest as a smile broke on his face.

_We made it. We made it!_

* * *

><p>Korse looked over the report, long, pale fingers keeping a sure grip on the touch pad that Isoda had offered to him.<p>

The woman had risen in the ranks of the company in the few weeks she'd been there, proving her loyalty repeatedly and gaining many powerful supporters.

She smirked at him as he looked at her.

"Is this report accurate?"

"It was run twice, by our senior scientists. It has been confirmed by three teams below them."

"Does the Director know yet?"

"He was sent a copy while I brought this one to you. He was very excited to hear the news. S#717 has a more powerful variation of the mutation than that found in Patient Zero and prisoner #55. His blood work is proving incredibly enlightening."

Korse grinned. "Who would have thought that the king rat would posses such beneficial genetics."

"The Director wants him shipped to Central immediately, so that he may be closer to the labs. He is no longer to be sent on missions."

"It's a pity I'm being robbed of a perfectly serviceable Scarecrow."

"Do not forget that he is Better Living's property, Exterminator, not yours. Besides, once the scientists have finished their work with him, I've been told he will be sent back to you. Entertain yourself with the other three in the meantime."

Korse was about to reply when the alarms blared. He threw a look toward Isoda before storming in the direction of the door.

He needn't have bothered. A scientist stepped into the conference room, trembling as he delivered the blow.

"Prisoners number 35476, 35477, 35478 and 55 are gone."

Korse was across the room in a few strides, claw-like grip around the scientist's throat raising him up, off the floor.

"What?"

His voice was deadly, his eyes flared in a terrible anger that made the scientist stutter as he delivered the last of the news.

"T-t-they to-took S#717 w-wi-with them."

The Exterminator slammed him against the wall, once, twice, three times until Isoda yelled for him to stop.

"He's a senior scientist Korse! Drop him this instant!"

Korse let the man fall to the floor. "How did they escape?"

"We don't know yet," The scientist blubbered, shielding his face, "We don't know."

* * *

><p>Sugar Fiend raised the radio to her mouth.<p>

"Time check please."

_"It's seven minutes past midnight." _

"Thanks Motorbaby."

Her gloved fingers itched for the throttle and she settled for simply tightening them around her ray gun.

"There's a vehicle approaching!" Space Biscuit yelled to her.

Sugar Fiend closed her eyes briefly.

_They were minutes from having them back. The Fabulous Killjoys. Sonic Zombie…_

The black BL/Ind. transport slowed down, and with the motor still running, two figures stepped out of the front.

Fun Ghoul couldn't believe they'd made it.

It didn't feel real, _didn't sink in,_ but he was free, they were _free_.

He could barely make out the shapes a few feet ahead, and he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blaring lights of the bikes.

It was Sugar Fiend, and Space Biscuit. And Motorbaby was stepping out of her jeep, Lady Biscuit in tow. And he could hear Crimson Sigh's happy laugh and Wolf Venom's cheer, and it felt so good to be back, _to be home in the desert,_ that he almost forgot about Party Poison.

Brian was standing behind him awkwardly, unsure of what to do, completely out of his element. But he smiled at him when Ghoul looked back, and nodded at the wordless question in his eyes.

The younger man ran back to the parked transport, rapping the side twice with a closed fist, the signal he'd told Jet Star he would give when they were safe.

The back door opened and Sonic Zombie stepped out first.

Jet Star grinned at him, Party Poison curled against him, Kobra Kid to his other side. His eyes were misty and he held up a single fist in victory.

"We made it," Brian voiced.

Jet Star simply nodded. Emotion had robbed him of his voice.

* * *

><p>Sonic Zombie had known she would be there. It would be totally unlike her not to have participated in their rescue. And wholly unlike Dr. Death Defying to not have called upon her.<p>

He watched her from afar, as Fun Ghoul enveloped her in an embrace.

He hesitated. She would be angry with him. She might even hit him.

Scratch that. She would most _definitely_ hit him.

He was a man of action, a man of motion but there was something so singularly unique to who she was, _what she meant to him_, that threw him off kilter completely.

She caught his eyes.

A million things were there, and he found himself giving her a lopsided grin.

Sugar Fiend strode towards him and he prepared himself.

She did have a mean right hook after all.

Her eyes were on fire, her posture tense and just as he'd expected and known, he found himself placing a hand against his cheek seconds later, against the heat of his now stinging skin.

"Hello to you too, Sugar."

And then she all but crumpled against him, arms around his waist, fingers clutching at the thin material of his white prisoners' uniform.

"You left me you selfish bastard."

There was fury there, but also something close to breaking and he hugged her tightly.

"I wish I could apologize, but I'm not sorry, Fiend. I can't be. You were safe and that's all that mattered."

She said nothing, just continued to embrace him.

"This conversation isn't over Sonic, if you think you're getting off the hook that easily, you're not."

"I know Fiend," He told her, mounting her bike with her, looping his arms around her waist, "I know you all too well."

She jabbed an elbow into his ribs and he laughed, he actually _laughed_ and it had been so long since he'd felt like himself it hurt to remember that not everything was okay, that not everything would return to normalcy so quickly. Because Sugar Fiend loved Party Poison like family, and she'd saved his life and he'd saved hers, and a bond like that wasn't likely to be broken.

_You better fight to come back, Poison, you better fight with all you've got you red-haired son of a bitch, because if you don't, you're going to hurt her and then I'll have to kick your ass. And your boys won't defend you because you'll have hurt them too._

* * *

><p>Sugar Fiend knew something was wrong when only Fun Ghoul approached her. He was happy to see her, happy to see them all but there was a tightness in his smile, a deep sadness in his eyes.<p>

As she mounted her bike, Sonic Zombie right behind her, Motorbaby cast her a questioning glance that she had no way of responding to.

They all needed answers.

But for now, they could wait. They could wait and believe in the great blow they'd dealt to BL/Ind.

Her family was slowly being pieced together again, and for that she was thankful.

* * *

><p>Brian drove in silence, and Fun Ghoul said nothing as well. They'd decided against moving their three companions in the back, and Jet Star had assured them that he could handle both brothers.<p>

Hope had blossomed in his chest again, when he'd hugged Sugar Fiend and Motorbaby. The near haggard look on their faces betrayed problems that they had yet to voice, but the pure joy there upon seeing him again made him smile. There would be time, later, to discuss and talk and say the things that needed to be said. For now, he could allow his eyes to close.

The desert landscape streamed by them, like water, and he became lost in his dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>Every time you, the reader, don't leave a review, Korse captures another Killjoy!<strong>


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